Sometimes we focus more on our unhappiness with our present situation, than on what we want to achieve. Chopra says that we should accept where we are now, be fully present in moment and concentrate on our deepest intentions (goals).

Goals should be difficult, but achievable with persistent effort. Goals that are too extreme, such as doubling your income in one year, can only discourage you. Goals work because you persist and focus your efforts in a specific direction. Without that direction, we can find ourselves floating through our lives, more at mercy of outside forces that are not devoted to our welfare or success. But we can manage our goals in a way that does not create undo stress by not being attached to exact way they are achieved.

Having set goals brook and I build toward them. The brook unable to know... about a pipe in ground, a seeping marsh, a dam. Myself not knowing course I will follow. Knowing what I want, yet finding it hard to grasp.

I remember years of competition, of struggle, of acceptance. Then discovering what is real, important; myself, my friends, expression; a soft kitten purring on my lap; peace.

Being more than a doctor, a lawyer. Knowing comfort, relaxation. Being myself.

Approaching completion of one goal, I set new ones. But fulfilling them means going away, sorrow. Like brook moves on, streams to river... ocean. Saying goodbye to familiar things, friends. Facing a reoccurrence of similar past memories, painful.

Conclusion

In my business I set performance goals for myself every year. I also set goals for relationships, finances, home, physical and mental health, as well as spiritual development. I can attest to fact that more specific goal, and more frequently I review that goal and focus on it, more likely I am to meet that goal. It helps to write down your goals, read through them periodically, visualize them and keep a picture journal that represents achievement of those goals. But it also helps to listen to feedback from universe, and make adjustments to those goals when necessary. We should have a career plan, but be flexible with how it unfolds.

I know a word...self-fulfillment. Being vulnerable, can I take chances? Being strong, grinding ahead through disappointments. Being weak, letting go of crippled goals. Like a brook who misses river, finding another happiness.

Being motivated, seeking what I am after, But not too aggressive. Being easy, tension-free.

Making it through insecurity Like cool water in a brook; not knowing what will come. Traveling through seasons of time. Molding myself to environment like brook makes its path through nature. Sliding over any obstacles brook continues over rocks, pieces of wood. Freezing in rough, cold spots; melting in warm. Praying for a map free of dams to follow in a steady, unchartered progression. My brook and I.

Enlightenment

Opus, as defined by Jung, is "work of soul." Often when people come to me unhappy in their work, it is because work does not fit them. It does not nourish soul. Our work is a reflection of who we are. But if there is a discrepancy between work and who we are, then soul suffers. It could be that we did not do "good" work or that work itself doesn't represent who we are.

When I was a stock broker, I felt essence of providing people with investment options was good. People should save and invest their money. But brokerage environment is competitive, narrow in job scope, and focused on making money for broker and firm. Just nature of commission sales compensation system can lead to concern more for size of paycheck than recommending investments that are suitable for clients. I thought there must be other work I could do that was more a reflection of who I am and would more fully utilize my talents, skills and need to express myself. I did not feel that I had a special "talent" as a stock broker; I could not stand out in industry. But I feel that I have a special talent for career consultation and coaching, and I contribute to my clients and add value to their lives. And feedback I get from universe (from having some success in this endeavor), supports that there is some truth to this assumption. This does not come from an inflated ego, but from working in two different occupations, feeling like things were not "right", and conducting a thorough self-assessment process where I was honest about my skills and abilities. I also went back to graduate school and continue to invest in learning. And as I develop my business, I am clear about my strengths and weaknesses so that I do not get pulled in directions that will not fit for me. I make conscious choices that sometimes mean sacrificing income or prestige.

Conclusion

Right livelihood is about earning your keep on this planet and doing work that supports life. According to Marsha Sinetar, "It means doing your best at what you do best." It means being proactive, honestly evaluating our options and making conscious choices. Right livelihood means contributing to our chosen work in a way that expands work itself and grows us in process.

"Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it." Buddha

Debbie Brown is a career consultant and coach who works primarily with professionals, attorneys, and entrepreneurs.