Right Livelihood is one of the most positive expression of our lives.

Increasingly, in these times of unbalanced views, individuals have lost the deeper meaning of work and their labour has become a disenfranchised activity without significance or satisfaction. These attitudes are harmful to the individuals doing this work, to others in their life, and to the All. Balancing our own inner being is the way to heal for this pandemic of unconsciousness work.

There are four questions we can ask about our work to determine whether it rests on positive spiritual foundations.

Does my work benefit all beings?

This may appear to be a lofty ideal, after all, how does one person’s effort make any difference? We must enlarge the vision of our labour beyond ourselves, and even beyond the influence of our immediate human circle of friends and family. We are co-creators with the All. It’s All one gigantic democratic endeavour! What we do every day creates the present, past, and future of the universe. That is the miraculous birthright of each being!. This is a difficult concept for most people because they have a vast unconsciousness about their livelihood. Sometimes the job is harmless, but sometimes the job harms themselves in subtle ways that only become apparent over many years as illness or unease either physically, mentally or emotionally.

Do I give back a portion of my share to the world in some way?

The practice of non-attached giving completes the circuit of giving and receiving. When we feel gratitude and freely give back to others without thought of how it may benefit us,  then we complete the circuit of abundance. The energy flow continues to flow and bring us even more of what we most yearn for.  If we become stagnant pools of self-interest, eventually, the soul will abandon the endeavour. 

The world is a perfect mirror, therefore when we are expressing ourselves in a positive manner that is not causing harm to other members of this net of life, we consequently the most satisfied and fulfilled. This is one indication that you are following right livelihood.

Is my work expressing the best possible aspect of what I am?

In other words, are you developing yourself, through discipline, productivity, and joy, in your work? When I was career counselling, I was always surprised whenever I asked an individual, “If money and opportunity were not considerations and you could do anything you wanted, what would you choose for your work?” she or he would almost always have an answer. “I want to be a secretary at the court house.” “I want to work with teens with drug problems.” “I want to open a crafts store.” I realised that when an individual listens to the quiet voice within, she would be guided by her soul.

By dedicating ourselves with integrity to work that expresses our natural gifts, we can create a wondrous mosaic, with each person fitting into work that is best suited for them. This completes ourselves and the All is also completed, day by day in a positive way that raises the consciousness of all beings. Of course, fulfilling that dream and making it a reality may take perseverance and discipline in action.

At present, the reckless consumption needs of the wealthy developed nations in the world are sentencing millions of individuals to virtual slavery. When we, in the developed countries, learn to let go of our hungry ghosts and balance ourselves to become more whole, this unhealthy consumption will naturally fall away, liberating humanity to pursue their natural gifts through right livelihood.

Personal success may or may not bring recognition and wealth. Read that sentence again: Personal success may or may not bring recognition and wealth.

At present there are individuals of the Earth Way who are just beginning their spiritual path, and whom I call the “abundance prophets.” They preach that by practising spirituality and following our highest path we will find riches and fame. This is not always true. The true path of the soul is beyond these small considerations. Fleeting pleasures do not influence the integrity of a true spiritual journey.

Our upbringing may reinforce our fears about work and cloud our decisions. “Will I find a good job? Will I survive? Will I be successful? Will I be respected and recognised?” These are all externally referenced points of evaluation. For true personal success, we must develop internally referenced points of evaluation according to the uniqueness of our souls. The old unbalanced belief about work was: “Do what the world demands of you to survive.” The new balanced perspective in these times of choice is: “I work with my highest gifts and am supported by the world in my choice of right livelihood.” This is a more empowering viewpoint that brings responsibility and fulfilment to the individual over the surfeit accumulation of material goods.

The next question we can ask when evaluating Right Livelihood is:

Who is working?

This question may seem very enigmatic but I am proposing a practical approach to this question. Asking this question leads to why we are working. It is a way of knowing how we feel when we are working. Of course our asking begins a long treasure hunt. To answer “Who is working?” we must have a practice which trains our minds to stay focused in the present moment. There are myriad practices that achieve this goal. Any ongoing regular time- out which allows the mind to stop running in circles trying to fix things, to make things better, to plan, to evaluate and discriminate good from bad, pleasurable from painful, will give time to allow self to observe self. How is it possible to evaluate something that is constantly being snatched from our attention? How can we know what will make us happy if we do not know ourselves?

The structure may change from person to person, but the goal is the same—to reach a place of quietness where there are no words, where the meditator may drink deep of soul. This way we can start to follow our own thought patterns: Where are we focused? Where are we scattered? What part of the workday is lost in forgetfulness? What parts are imbued with the ambiance of interest? We can do this not once, but many times a day.

When you settle down into a place of silence and ask yourself these four questions about work, it may initiate responses of fear. After all, these kinds of questions may not have been asked before! Suddenly, the ego may feel threatened and want to rile up and protect you from the perceived danger of the new and unknown. This fear response is natural, given the stern conditioning we are given by our societal values. But yielding to this fear will only prevent you from gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning of work. It is sad to see so many people only expressing the goals of survival, sexuality, and will. There are four other qualities to express also : compassion, communication, spiritual vision, and spiritual connectedness.

Excerpted from Julia Star's book 

 "The River Books: Everyday Spirituality"

which will to be published and available for sale on this blog site in September 2014.