I read a Ram Dass quote that resonated with me, “the more conscious a being becomes, the more they can use any occupation as a vehicle for spreading light.”
I think a lot of young people wonder whether they should change jobs or careers to something more rewarding. Especially those who have already done a lot to get themselves established in the world, who have the option to take a step down in pay and a step up in meaning. Heck, I struggle with this sometimes. Is it really my life’s purpose to help old people retire from otherwise productive and satisfying careers, just because they can? Is it my destiny and highest calling to help the rich get richer? Well not if you put it like that…
Notice what’s happening in that line of thinking. It says the answer is “out there,” somewhere outside myself, and it is totally cynical about my potential to do good right here where I am. How often does that particular belief work out well? In my opinion, almost never. In fact, I think when I’ve played out that idea in my own life, the results have been mostly poor. A strained marriage, over-consumption of alcohol and pot (and pornography), numbly rewatching the same empty tv shows, unsatisfying relationships across the board, a hollow professional journey, excessive sugar intake, no real creative output, endless bingeing of podcasts… in short, it turned life in an unending state of overstimulated boredom.
I think it would be the same if I became a teacher, or a counselor, or a religious guide, or life-coach, or professional writer. Ultimately, I’d still have the same underlying issues, the issues which underlie all of my suffering, as well as that of most other people. And I’d either deal with them or not. Whether I’m a teacher, entrepreneur, or janitor, until I confront my need for expanded consciousness, I’m going to encounter the same problems again and again and again.
But the good news, then, is that the answer isn’t “out there.” There isn’t a magic job that solves all your problems. You aren’t required to know that much about the world. But you are required to examine yourself. You could be an enlightened janitor and it would work out well for you. Or you could be an unenlightened billionaire and your whole situation would be as unfulfilling as it is precarious.
Weirdly, it’s this idea of becoming more conscious and sharing it with others that I most love about my current job. I’m still growing and learning, not only when it comes to money, but with pretty much every other facet of life. Because of the work I’ve done on myself, when I meet with clients I see them more clearly, the ways they’re conscious and living well, as well as their blind spots. I have the opportunity and the ability to gently elevate them from lower to higher consciousness. To use just a really basic example, there are a lot of people who don’t understand how much it is costing them to not save for retirement. Some of them aren’t aware of how powerful compound interest is. They aren’t conscious of this facet of how the world works. I can show them, illustrate it, help them picture it, and if they’re willing and ready, their awareness will expand. (By the way, did you know that a dollar invested at 10% for 35 years grows into $28?)
Or it might be helping them talk through the obstacles facing a coming life change. Retirement is a big shift. As is buying a new house, having kids, changing jobs, etc. There’s no set formula for how it works out, but I’ve observed that the more my own awareness expands the more I’m able to help others.
It’s not just money awareness though. It can be emotional depth, some extra capacity for grief and loss, or some loving encouragement born from seeing a person more fully. The less hung up I am on my own issues, the more room I have for others, and the more light I can spread in the world. Suddenly my job isn’t just about finances and investments, it’s about life, fear, and maybe even karma.
Maybe another way of putting this idea is, “it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.” We aren’t the sort of beings that do a good job planning out over multiple decades of life, or even multiple years. Where life works for us is in the day to day, trying to live according to good values. You can meditate, daily. You can do a good deed, daily. You can show up to work with a helpful attitude, daily. The “what” of it is kind of irrelevant. Your role doesn’t make you successful or a “good person.” I’ve met nurses who are as mercenary as any stockbroker on wall street. It was the highest paying position/career they could manage for themselves. I’ve also met salespeople who were as helpful and compassionate as you could hope for a person to be, even though they were getting paid on commission. Isn’t that interesting?
The assumption underlying Ram Dass’ earlier quote is this: a great goal in life is to spread light in this world. It is almost irrelevant, on a spiritual level, what your profession or occupation is. It may matter for financial and other practical reasons, and I think some jobs are a better fit for certain people’s gifts than others. You might be better rewarded in other professions, but I don’t think some jobs are inherently that much more enlightened than others.