The Conundrum of Not Being Independently Wealthy: or, finding right livelihood

Finding a job is fairly easy, even in a crappy market. Finding a job that keeps you off food stamps and that you enjoy--at the same time--well, that is a conundrum. And after having negative work experiences and little mentoring, becoming gainfully employed has been a scary process. Kind of like dating again after a bad break-up. However, rather than telling my tale of work-related woe, I thought I'd shout out to the world, the Universe, and all three followers of my blog, what I want out of right livelihood and what I'm willing to do to get it. And if this post helps others get clear on what they want in their livelihood, even better. So, without further ado, here are the lists:

My Ideal Right Livelihood

• Flexible schedule.
• Feeds my soul and my intellect.
• Gives me space to be creative.
• Uses most, if not all, of my talents, strengths and skills, especially the ones I enjoy using.
• Encourages/Nurtures and provides space for me to gain new skills.
• Nurtures me to stretch beyond my current comfort zones.
• Dovetails into most aspects of my life.
• Compensates me financially so that I can meet all my monthly obligations, afford what I need for survival, have money to set aside for emergencies, leaves me discretionary funds, and provides me with the means to create several savings accounts.
• Is the type of work that allows me to make the world a better place, locally, regionally, and/or globally.
• The people I work with respect my boundaries, value me as both an individual and professional, enjoy working with me, treat me with respect, and appreciate what I contribute.
• Falls into the categories of healing and creative arts, environment, animals, the outdoors, food, and/or spirituality, with the understanding that my highest good may have a different category in mind I haven’t considered.
• I work no more than 40 hours a week, and ideally, less.
• Allows me to grow professionally and personally.
• The work I do is varied and interesting.
• Allows me to explore my leadership skills.
• It’s fun!!
• I love waking up and exploring my right livelihood, whether at home or elsewhere!
• Allows me to stand my ground, when necessary.
• Allows me to maintain my integrity.

To attract my right livelihood, I accept the following responsibilities:

• Being myself, not compromising and holding my integrity, regardless of what else is happening.
• Loving myself and remembering that nothing is personal (even when it is intended as such).
• Opening myself to all possibilities and trusting that I will be able to weed out the wrong ones quickly and painlessly.
• Trusting the process, no matter how long it takes or how scary it is.
• Having fun with the process and the people I meet along the way, whether colleagues, bosses, and/or clients.
• Signing up with temp agencies to help me along the path.
• Looking for work daily.
• Not getting discouraged.
• Networking with as many different people as I can and tell them I am looking for work.
• Allowing jobs/employers/coworkers/clients to be exactly what they are without judgment and being okay with some not being the right fit.
• Taking all the risks that make this process possible.
• Being gentle with myself while I wait.