How good is the work you’re producing now?

Would you be willing to sell it to your closest friends? If the answer is no, why do you feel okay about selling it to other people? Do you think they won’t be able to notice what your friends would?

All things being equal, people want to do business with their friends. If your work isn’t up to the quality level you feel comfortable sharing with friends, it’s not going to bring you success.

Why’s that?

Your friends cut through your own delusions. You can lie to yourself, and pretend what you’ve created is great, but when it comes down to it, you can’t fool your friends with what you produce. They are an honest reflection of yourself. If you’d feel awkward sharing what you’ve done today with your friends, you’re probably not producing the quality level you know you’re capable of.

For Buddhists, an integral part of the Eightfold path is Right Work, or Right Livelihood. Right work is optimal work, work that doesn’t hurt or harm any living thing. Work that brings happiness to both the worker and the people who recieve the work.

Is your work Right Work? And what sort of a job nowadays would really fit as Right Work?

It’s a process of discovery. Each person is born with unique talents and gifts, and under a different set of circumstances. It’s our job as humans to figure out what those gifts are, to build upon them, and then find a way to share them with the rest of the world. Once we’ve done so, the whole world falls into alignment, and the process of becoming successful becomes effortless.

You’re only doing what you would do for free.

And that’s a huge leap in your thought process. When you’re producing out of love of the process, you’re producing in a genuine way. It’s not a rushed job, and it’s not “just to pay the bills”. People notice when you put your heart into your work. Everyone appreciates someone who excels at what they do, regardless of what it is. Just watch a professional athlete who loves their sport, and you’ll see why.

So why waste your time on this earth in mediocrity. Why settle?

If you know what your talents are already, what are you doing to develop them further? Humanity benefits most when everyone develops to their true potential and finds happiness within their work.

If you haven’t discovered them, give yourself the time to discover them. Taking a long trip to a foreign country is a great start. It’ll make you realize just how ingrained and relative your social values are. Then you’ll think about what you really want. And that’s the start of everything.

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