Discerning your authentic work

Perhaps you are committed to knowing and doing your authentic work, to creating right livelihood. But how do you go about finding out what that is? Here's a simple, powerful 30-day process for getting clear about your right work.

Set aside a time each day when you will do the process and choose a simple means of keeping track of what you notice-a notebook or perhaps your planner. It works best if you track each day consecutively so that you can review your notes all at once without flipping through a lot of unrelated material.

Begin by getting quiet and centered. Allow the concerns, ambitions and ideas of the day to drop away. Ground yourself in the presence of a loving Higher Power. Ask this Power to bring to your mind a moment in your workday in which you felt most engaged and authentic. Take a minute to recollect every aspect of this moment: how you felt physically, where you were, the sights and sounds around you, your emotional and mental state.

Next, ask your Higher Power to gently bring to your awareness that moment in the workday when you felt least engaged, when you felt fragmented or inauthentic. Sit with your recollection of this moment without judgement, simply noticing what was going on and how it was for you.

The following questions can help you to identify your moments of greatest and least authenticity.

When did I feel most/least grateful?
When did I feel most/least productive?
When did I feel most/least engaged?
When did I feel most/least energized?
When did I feel most/least inspired?
When did I feel most/least generous and expansive?
When did I feel the most/least fear?

After you have sense the high and low points of each day, take out your notebook or planner. Draw a circle and briefly note in it your moment of greatest connection or authenticity. Then draw a jagged shape, briefly noting inside it your moment of disconnection or of least authenticity. What generally works best is to capture each moment in just a few words.

Repeat this process daily. At the end of 30 days, set aside an hour to review your notes. Set the stage by getting quiet and grounding yourself in the loving presence of a Higher Power whom you trust to hold your best interests at heart. Then page through your notes, looking for patterns. The following questions may help

Where was there typically the most energy (positive or negative) for me?

What vision for my work allows me to give and receive the most love/energy/vitality?

Where did I typically experience the greatest connection or meaning?

The answers that come will give you important insights into the nature of your right work. The process may raise new questions, which you can pose to yourself in the same fashion, always listening gently for the voice of your spirit to show you where you are designed to thrive and to be a gift to others.

Note:
When it seems like life is trying to beat you down, fight back with
optimistic thoughts.