Finding Right Livelihood in the Post Modern Era - Part One

Finding Right Livelihood in the Post-Modern Era – A Three Part Series

Our traditional economic support system has been dissolved in the economic tides of the past few years. Corporations are adopting new cultures encompassing multi-generational workforces and global markets. This, coupled with the ever-shifting economy and rising unemployment causes “business as usual” to become “unusual business.”

The Shift in Progress is the first in a three part series focused on seeking guidance from Spirit to find our true calling for prosperous, fulfilling and sustainable livelihood.

It is wise to begin a journey with a firm understanding of where we are and where we are going. We start, therefore, in the present moment, our most definitive point of power. On our journey we will explore changes occurring above and below the surface of our world and learn how we can harness the underlying energies to manifest our own abundance.

In today’s economy, a number of things are happening simultaneously, causing a large influx of displaced workers. The result is a national crisis for thousands who are unemployed or under-employed. Key contributing factors are:

• The number of jobs available has decreased due to economic recession and globalization of the marketplace, boosting the need for company downsizing to remain competitive.
• Many traditional jobs have simply ceased to exist in our country; making it impossible for individuals to stay in the very fields, in which they have worked for years.
• Many business owners now find themselves on the brink of financial disaster and must personally re-invent their lives and their livelihoods.
• The competition for existing jobs has steeply increased the need for formal education. Those who learned a trade on the job are forced out into the open market to compete with others who have acquired degrees. Some employers appear to be favoring education over experience as it brings new ideas in a highly competitive market, and they can pay new graduates a lesser salary.
• With the graceful aging of the Baby Boomers, what was once a single- generational workforce has shifted to a multi-generational; increasing the retirement age from 55-60 to 65-70. Even after retirement many people pursue part-time work to supplement their income out of need or desire.

In spite of this news, we are actually immersed in welcoming waters. They are ready for us to call forth our creative spirits. Necessity IS the Mother of Invention!

A paradigm, according to Futurist, Joel Barker, “is any theory or dogma that establishes boundaries and regulations. Paradigms filter data and, as a result, often prevent anticipating new developments that come from outside the paradigm” Paradigms shift the nature of how we view reality and go about business in our daily lives.

The opportunity to harness our Divine potential as we surf the paradigm shift in progress is before us, awaiting action. To understand where we are it is helpful to understand how we got here.

The airplane, telephone, radio and Xerox machine are all ideas which created a paradigm shift. These ideas were developed by creative individuals open to new concepts and new ways of looking at the world. Visionaries of our present time believe we are experiencing a fundamental shift from the Mechanistic Worldview to the realm of Systems Thinking and Quantum Physics.

In his brilliant book, The Turning Point, Fritjof Capra eloquently captures the essence of the shift we are experiencing in the following passage:

The rhythmic recurrences and patterns of rise and decline that seem to dominate human cultural evolution have somehow conspired to reach their points of reversal at the same time. The decline of patriarchy, the end of the fossil-fuel age, and the paradigm shift occurring in the twilight of the sensate culture are all contributing to the same global process. The current crisis, therefore, is not just a crisis of individuals, governments, or social institutions; it is a transition of planetary dimensions. As individuals, as a society, as a civilization, and as a planetary ecosystem, we are reaching the turning point. 1

The Mechanistic World view introduced by Rene Descartes in 1596 is loosening its grip at last. Under the existing paradigm, matter is devoid of spirit, nature is a machine, subject only to the laws of cause and effect and mankind is separate from the earth.

To Descartes the material universe was a machine and nothing but a machine. There was no purpose, life, or spirituality in matter. Nature worked according to mechanical laws, and everything in the material world could be explained in terms of the arrangement and movement of its parts. 2

Descartes definition of reality pushed us away from the softness of an organic or “feminine” philosophy where humans lived in reverence and cooperation with nature, to a mechanistic or “masculine” way of being where they attempt to rule nature. The gentle image of the earth as a living mother full of mystical energy was erased by the notion that it was nothing more than a commodity to be harnessed, controlled and dominated by man.

It was not until 1926, when German scientist, Werner Heisenberg unveiled his Uncertainty Theory that we began to intuitively understand that the universe is continually in a state of flux, it is not static, nor is it predictable.

The uncertainty principle had profound implications for the way in which we view the world. Even after more than fifty years they have not been fully appreciated by many philosophers, and are still the subject of much controversy. The uncertainty principle signaled an end to a model of the universe that would be completely deterministic: one certainly cannot predict future events exactly if one cannot even measure the present state of the universe precisely! 3

With this cutting-edge research came the realization that our world is nothing like a machine. Instead, it is quite alive and comprised of energy waves in continual motion each containing an ever-expanding mathematical equation of future possibilities and probabilities. Simply, the potential future which receives the most attention will be the one to unfold. The universe, it seems, is at our request!

Given this understanding, we can work within the emerging paradigm on a number of levels by following some simple guidelines such as:

· Honor our thoughts as the most precious resource we possess. The universe is listening and what we focus on expands (consciously or unconsciously).

· Seek advice from Spirit. If you want to know why you’re here, ask the part of yourself that remembers. If you don’t ask, you won’t receive. Free will exists on the physical plane.

· Strive for wholeness. A practical approach integrates and utilizes both sides of your mind. The rational logic of the left brain coupled with the mystical awareness of the right brain is a powerful combination. It brought forth brilliant epiphanies for Albert Einstein (who was right-brain dominant as a child).

I would like now to humbly share one of my own epiphanies with you. I awoke one morning with a crystal clear vision of a tool, which would allow folks to gain insights and guidance about creativity and career: A Vocational Oracle Deck. As I pondered the potential, I envisioned a world where the inhabitants awoke everyday, excited to see what endeavors waited in store. It was a time and place where each could share their talents and creativity in a useful, harmonious dance with the culture in which they live by providing services and products that sustain the earth and each other. The concept and its usefulness were firmly implanted in my mind. In fact, the idea resonated so loudly with me that I jumped out of bed and typed, until The Oracle of Creative Abundance was born. It is now on my website.

To view the Oracle cards please visit: www.stateofmindcounseling.net/oracle.html.

I believe we live in a fascinating time. The collective consciousness of humankind is awakening to its divine potential on earth once more. Through the intentional use of our thoughts alone we can create new realities toward work, medicine, the environment, politics and our social institutions. So, keep the faith Brothers and Sisters! The surf is up and we will ride the crest together and land with both feet!

1-3 Capra, Fritjof. 1982. The Turning Point. <st1:place><st1:city>New York</st1:city>, <st1:state>NY</st1:state></st1:place>: Bantam Books.

<st1:place><st1:city>Saraina Hancock</st1:city>, <st1:state>MA</st1:state></st1:place> is a Clairvoyant Counselor, Minister and Spiritual Response Therapist who has served the Northwest since 1990. She teaches an on-going series of workshops called ParaDynamics; which she defines as the study and application of both spiritual and practical principles, which facilitates a paradigm shift within individuals and thus supports planetary transformation into a world that works for everyone.

For information about services visit :www.stateofmindcounseling.net or contact: saraina11@yahoo.com