Do you do the right thing?
Do you choose to do right in all situations? Do you do right by yourself?
Right Action and Right livelihood, according to Buddhist teachings we are instructed not hurt ourselves, others or animals. For the purpose of this chapter we will ask the questions: Do you do the right thing regarding your life, in situations and to yourself.
Research shows toddlers understand right from wrong at just 19 months.Children know the difference between right and wrong before they reach the age of two, according to research published in a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science. Scientists have found that babies aged between 19 and 21 months understand fairness and can apply it in different situations! Surprised? So if babies know right from wrong what is there to teach you about 'doing the right thing, taking the right action in everything you do'?
In life we assume that most of us do the right thing according to our families, values, to society or as dictated to us via the law or government we live under.
As life throws us challenges, we try to conquer them. Most of us have no interest, need or want to hurt, others or animals. We live our lives to the best of our ability whilst trying to navigate any situation we are in, by doing what is right. This, however may not be the case when we find ourselves in challenging situations.
What did you find yourself doing when challenging situations arises? Do you suddenly react or do you act in a structured way? We are all aware that some situations require us to act without thought. There are other situations that gives us enough time to stop, think, then act. However many of us react without thought to any and every situation we find ourselves in. My advise whilst in a situation that gives you enough time to think before acting is to consider two things: How am I expected to react or act and how I intend to act or react in this situation? Believe it or not, there are some situations that do not call for or warrant a response or any action at all! It is those situations that produce the best outcomes, as it gives you the opportunity to watch it play out itself.
Let's give a few simple examples. You are in a rush and need to drive to your destination, the five traffic lights that you have to pass in-order to get to where you are going turns red as you approach them. Do you act calmly or react negativity? As a conscious driver you know that the lights have changed to allow other cars to go, for pedestrians to cross the road, to stop the flow of traffic from building up or to keep you safe from a train or tram ploughing into you. Those who react negatively to a red stop sign, generally are not thinking of the reasons behind the red light, but themselves. I have found that people who react negatively to every situation, from spilling milk to being locked out of their house, because they left their key inside, often walk around their life with a 'Woe me attitude' a 'why me attitude'. Do you know anyone in your circle that fits that bill? Perhaps that person is you!
The situations we find ourselves in, happen for a reason, it is said that there are no coincidences. Situations occur to teach us something or to keep us on the right path for our lives. When you next find yourself saddled with a situation to overcome, do what you feel is right. Then look back and consider what you have learnt though that situation. Consider the way you reacted and whether you could have reacted or acted differently.
In doing the right thing and how you treat yourself, one should consider what they do for a living (livelihood) As we tend to spend 40 hours a week or 50 years of our lives working , it is important to ensure we pick the right livelihood. How have you chosen your livelihood? Is it a chosen field? Nepotism? Was your current job suggested by a friend? Or is it a job that came into your life at a time you needed a job? Do you consider whether the job you do is ethical? Do you consider whether the work you do harms others, yourself or animals in-order to produce a job for you? Does it matter? Should it matter? After all, you are not the employer, you may feel that you are only a tiny cog in the wheel of that company you work for. Perhaps you only consider the why, you are doing the work you do. To pay the bills and feed the family! It is imperative that we consider the bigger picture and consider our part in serving an employer that pays you to sell clothes that are made by workers in another country for pennies and who may work under terrible working conditions. As a cashier in a first world country, you then scan those clothes with a price tag of 100 times or more than what was paid to make it! Where does the company you work for get their merchandise? Do you feel that it may go against your morals? We are adults and as you have found your way to my books, my blog or my circle, you must have known that I was going to hit a nerve at some point in our relationship. Is it now? You may be saying that it is easy for me to bring up these issues and I shouldn't be making people feel uneasy, as I work for myself, and when I did have an employer I worked in the caring field. My answer to that is Yes and Yes. It is easy to bring up any issue and Yes I should make you wear that cap that fits. How all my clients and staff were treated became my focus, it was to ensure they had a pleasant working, living or appointment wherever I worked. Do you consider this and does it matter?
Many people mourn about their jobs, people say things like 'Oh i'm here again' 'Oh they have given me even more hours this week' 'the coffee machine doesn't work again' or perhaps the one I have heard the most ' I hate Mondays' Now, you already know how I feel about those statements. I will say is this. The person or persons who continually repeat these statements should be grateful that they have a job. This person is ungrateful for the food the job pays for, this person is ungrateful for the rent/mortgage this job allows them and the myriad of other things this job enables them to have and do. I am a great believer in what you say or talk about you bring about. Saying or using the word hate is frowned upon in my household and my circle. To utter the words you hate Mondays or any other day of the week is alien to me. What if you never live to see another Monday!
Consider what you say about your job and think about your values, ethics and morals. Does what you do harm others, yourself or animals? I understand that bills need to paid and mouths need to be fed, but if it forces you to compromise your well being either spiritually or physically, it is not worth doing! As mentioned above, some people feel that they do not have a choice but work for their current employer.......I disagree...If you are a believer of the Law of Attraction you know you will get the ideal job that pays the amount of money you want or need in the location you want, if you trust and believe it will come.
The word Action, for me, conjures up a film production and the director saying 'ACTION' all eyes are on you, the lights are focused on you. In all your actions, you should play it out as if you are being observed....(most of the time someone is watching you, that could be your children, family members, friends, neighbours and or strangers) In this way you will be kept on the right track, you will consider your actions, ensuring it is not negative or doesn't hurt yourself or another.
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