What is meant by Right Livelihood?
The Buddhists have a term called Right Livelihood, which is one of the Eightfold Paths. The Eightfold Paths list the ways to overcome suffering and experience enlightenment. Right Livelihood, which is concerned with what you do to make a living, has two parts. The first part is simply to do no harm to others or to the planet. If you desire to find peace, whatever you work with is not to cause damage to any person. Secondly, your work is specialized to you. It is what you are called to do. It is something that nobody else could do in the way that you can. This is the element of Right Livelihood that I would like to look at today.
Some of you know what you came here to do, others have a piece of the puzzle, and the rest of you are just puzzled. For those who know your path, I encourage you to surrender more fully to your purpose, to let go of everything that is unlike it. Trust your own guidance; nobody else can tell you what you are here to do or how to do it.
For those of you who have a piece of the puzzle, it is time to give your life to that piece. Stop doing things that you know are not your purpose. Move through your fear that you will not be supported if you let go of the job that is not fulfilling. If you are worried that leaving your job means that you will lose your health insurance, turn your health over to Spirit instead of selling your soul for your body – a trade that never pays off in the end. Commit to spending more time with your purpose, so that month by month you come closer to realizing just where it is taking you. Where you find there is not enough time, begin cutting out those things (including jobs when it becomes necessary) that can only drag you down, those things which are not a part of your passion. Sometimes this requires surrendering to the reality that doing is more connected to your path than having. Love your path into beingness.
For those of you who are puzzled, there are two directions you can take which are not mutually exclusive. First, move toward anything for which you have passion. Schedule time in your calendar each week to do these things. Don’t think about practicality or how it could support you. Increase the amount of time you give to your passions each month. Second, begin letting go of activities for which you have no passion. Stop doing them or begin to plan how you can let them go. Simplify your life. You can begin by cleaning your physical surroundings of all the things you are no longer using for your passion. More of what you want. Less of what you don’t want. Gradually your purpose will emerge. Enjoy. Ask Spirit for support. Persevere. The universe is on your side.
God Blesses You,
Sanhia