Saskia Kremer was 12 when she met Mother Theresa on a road trip, and decided to become a nun of the order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity.
At 16, she was serving in orphanages and houses of the dying in Calcutta, where she discovered the limits of "fixing" and "helping" and learned to simply be a presence for those who are suffering.
By 18, Kremer was working for the Missionaries of Charity in Croatia, amid the brutal civil war.
Over the following 13 years, she served the destitute and marginalized in Illinois, the Philippines, and on the Texas/Mexico border.
And somewhere along the way, Kremer began to burn out. Always taking care of other people's needs, she had forgotten her own.
Upon her return to mainstream civilization, Kremer found that she didn't fit in. Ordinary life was far removed from her work of spiritual service. And when she began looking for paid employment, recruiters told her that her history and experience didn't qualify her for any existing role.
So as she healed, Kremer decided to create her own role, using her experience to guide others to finding meaning in their work when they feel drained, dispirited, and disconnected from their heart and their life's purpose.
Kremer is now a coach, consultant, and trainer whose mission is to help those recovering from illness or accident find their purpose when returning to work.
We spoke about the lessons she learned in the Missionaries of Charity, and the ones that perhaps she learned a little too well.
As well as how each of us can bring more presence and soul into our work, and embrace our greatest power, our vulnerability.
We discuss the difference between productivity and true contribution, and the dynamic tension between being outcome-driven and presence-focused.
And the peace that arises when we choose to value ourselves and others based on our deep essence, rather than our external achievements.
Links
Saskia Kremer's website
Sylvia Boorstein
Dan Price of Gravity Payments