Right Speech

Speaking the truth should be a simple matter but it is not. Preserving relationships and feelings does not always feel possible while being completely honest. Best intentions or not, our speech, if not properly respected and carefully delivered, can be a source of major suffering within and without.

Words resonate long after they are spoken and live on after we die. Our words affect thoughts and actions of not only ourselves but those who are exposed to them. Carelessness with what we share is irresponsible and is the cause of much evil and suffering in the world.

As the provincial election draws near, I am feeling bombarded by all the propaganda being disseminated through the press and on social media. At the worst, some of the candidates are idiots and do not understand arithmetic and science. At the best, those same candidates are just self-serving liars. Regardless, I find myself more frustrated and appalled by the people who are choosing to remain ignorant of the obvious and vote for those candidates anyway.

The world would be infinitely better if we all educated ourselves, making us impervious to the lies and deception that prevail in every political campaign and self-serving agendas.

 “Sometimes we speak clumsily and create internal knots in others. Then we say, “I was just telling the truth.” It may be the truth, but if our way of speaking causes unnecessary suffering, it is not Right Speech. The truth must be presented in ways that others can accept. Words that damage or destroy are not Right Speech. Before you speak, understand the person you are speaking to. Consider each word carefully before you say anything, so that your speech is “Right” in both form and content.” - Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926)

Right View

On the road to mastery, knowing a technique is not the same as being able to effectively apply a technique. It takes a single lesson to learn a technique but it takes years of practice to acquire the skill to effectively apply the technique. Confusing knowledge with skill is a major limiting factor on a student’s progress. It is important that a student understands the difference between knowledge and skill and is willing to commit to mastering their curriculum.

Paradigms of thoughts and emotions are difficult to change and, for many, can perpetuate a cycle of bad decisions and self-destructive behaviour. Voting for or against a candidate based upon sound bites and historical habits dig ourselves deeper into situations we are fighting to get out of.  Likewise, confusing knowledge with skill will enable mediocrity to flourish without even being aware of its destructive grip on your progress.

Self-awareness is not a guarantee but most people assume they have a healthy dose of it. Self-awareness is the first step to self-improvement. It helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses and gives you the foundation you need to make meaningful changes to achieve success.

“Self-awareness is the ability to take an honest look at your life without any attachment to it being right or wrong, good or bad.” - Debbie Ford (1955-2013)

Right Livelihood

We spend one third of our lives sleeping and another third working and serving our vocation and/or education. Using up a third of my allotted time on earth pursuing my vocation is a massive investment. My vocation better  be worth it.

It is important that my vocation is not directly or indirectly harming others. In that respect I have always been happy with my career. My last few years of my career had me feeling less fulfilled as I realized that, while my vocation was definitely helping others, I did not feel my personal commitment was making a significant difference in outcomes. I think everyone gets to a point in their career evolution where bureaucracy and business models are at odds with logic and efficiency.

It has been over a year since I made a major change in my life to bring my vocation into harmony with my concept of right livelihood. Stress is down and quality of life is up. No, the money situation is not better but money can’t buy back a third of my life.

I am happy.

“When one person’s livelihood changes, it can impact an entire family, then a whole community.” - Tae Yoo 

Right Effort

The past few weeks have been a journey of setting priorities while maintaining enough clarity to ensure my actions are actually serving my intentions. This is not usually something I would even consider a task as I tend to apply mindfulness as an hourly practice. When life throws on more than a person can typically handle, mindful decision making is no longer effortless and clarity becomes a challenge.

Looking at things retrospectively, it is obvious that some things are not in order. Some of my outcomes are completely opposite of my intentions so I have been spending a lot of time analyzing my actions to identify where the disconnect has occurred. 

Parental health problems, favourite aunt knee replacement surgery, dog dental surgery, the list goes on. Temporary spikes in busyness can have a lasting effect on my efficiency if I do not ensure I am applying right effort. Effort is never a problem for me but if I do not have clarity and harmony between my effort and intention, I may be causing more problems than I am solving. 

Right effort is essential.

“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.” - John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

Priorities

Achieving a goal is impossible if the goal that has been set is not even a priority. That seems like pretty basic common sense but it is quite a bit more difficult than most would think.

We all have million excuses for not keeping promises and doing what we need to do, but the majority of excuses can be narrowed down to but a single one - it is just not a high enough priority for me.

Working in healthcare, I was often at the end of my rope without a spare second in my day. I would run from one crisis to the next, yet I never once tapped out and walked away from a situation that needed my expertise. No matter how busy or strapped for time I was, I always had more to give. My priority was the patient and, no matter what, I always found a way to get the job done.

If earning a black belt is a priority, you will find the time. If you have more excuses than you have time, obviously black belt is not a high enough of a priority for you.

 “Actions express priorities.” - Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)