Who do you work for?
Upadesa Sara Raw from 9/20/18
1. Bhagwan- is my ultimate employer. Few years ago, I may not have said this as I did not even know it. I had not discovered this truth. Now with the guidance of guru, this ultimate Reality stays with me. I try to remind myself of it as I conduct my daily actions and that makes the whole experience very purposeful. Am I successful in this remembrance all the time? Not really but the more I practice, the more I remember. I keep on trying and keeping this vision in my mind has made my life simpler. Bhagwan is my ONLY employer.
2. Acharya Vivekji and Chinmaya Mission- At functional level I may do few administrative things for Chinmaya Mission, yet no matter what I do, it never feels like the traditional definition of ‘work’. I love doing anything associated with our center and I cannot describe how or why but it gives such joy. When Vivekji is visiting our Cleveland center, there is always palpable energy of positivity, happiness, festivity amongst all our members. It feels like UTSAVA. All ‘work’, is done with so much love by all that one can feel the contagious joy.
3. Family- We all do a lot for our families from apparent mundane chores of cooking and cleaning, to homework help, sports, playdates, sleepovers, dances and all. We love our family and we do it because we want to out of love and moreover it is expected too. Of course, with my ego identification, I used to get overwhelmed and feel that I do more (much more compared to my husband of course…. I think I still do, ha-ha) yet with the guidance of scriptures brought beautifully and made practical by Acharya Vivekji, I see it as seva opportunity. I complain much less now, even when there is occasional feeling of unfair distribution of responsibilities in my mind. I mean he is a wonderful person and Interestingly he has been doing more too, without my asking too (miracles never cease!).
4. Patients- I feel immensely grateful for the profession I am in and it allows me to contribute to physical and mental health of my patients. It gives me immense joy to be able to hear their story and positively touch their lives in any little way I can. I could not ask for better profession!
5. Cleveland Clinic- Well that is the Big Boss that makes the rules. Just like any billion dollar-plus corporation, it is run like a corporation. Do I like all the rules and loss of flexibility? May be not but Vivekji Once said- Change your job or change your mind! This has helped me tremendously to change what I can, to accept what I cannot change and still trying to work on wisdom as to what to accept and what to change.
6. Friends- Some of the work I do, may happen to support friends in secular world. Sometimes I am not sure of their vision as it may be focused on power play, position etc. It may not have bothered me years ago, but now it makes me acutely aware of which direction things are going.
7. Myself- the “I” component. Yes, selfishly I work for myself too; still indulging in things which may not bring peace but now being aware of this, I am slowly trying to change my focus from lower P’s( pleasure, possession and position) to higher P ( PEACE).
Thanks so much for this RAW, Vivekji. As always, it encourages me to THINK beyond the usual pattern and it is amazing how things become much more clearer the more I reflect.
