But I Can't!

A man who is convinced that he can't make a living doing what he really wants to do questions his crippling beliefs through The Work with Byron Katie.





For those of you receiving this post via email - these are two YouTube videos showing Byron Katie doing "the work" with someone who believes he cannot make a living doing what he really wants to do. To see the videos, you may have to visit us here at the Prosperity Project website.

Enjoying Your Work

Ok guys, I'm going to change it up a little bit. Seems to me that this month's exercise is just a bit too easy. It takes me five minutes to think of my five things, and then I'm back to the same old stuff.

With that in mind, for this week, I've come up with a way to really challenge us to come up with new and creative ways to focus on our five good things. Here's how it works:

Today, I'd like us to be thinking about all the things, people, circumstances, etc that make our work enjoyable AND to come up with stuff that begins with the following letters:

M . O . N . D . A . Y

Yes, I know that's six things instead of five - but hey, I think we can do it. So, how about it? Can you think of something enjoyable about your work that begins with the letter M? What about O?

If you work at it all day, and still haven't up with all six - that's fine! You will have focused on something positive for a whole lot longer than you might have otherwise. And, if you'd rather just come up with five or more things that make your work enjoyable, well, that's fine too.

What I Like About My Job

It's Monday morning. For many people, this is the beginning of yet another work week. So lets begin our project with the five things you LIKE about your job! I'll help you get started:

1. What I like about my job is ...
2. And another thing about it that's good is ...
3. Of course, I'm really grateful that ...
4. What else? Hmmm... Well - I do like ....
5. And lastly, I thank God every day that I don't LIVE there.

And I think it would be really helpful if you go ahead and write your five things down. Better yet, post it here on the project!

To Secure Advancement

Do all the work you can do, every day, and do each piece of work in a perfectly successful manner; put the power of success, and the purpose to get rich, into everything that you do.

But do not do this merely with the idea of currying favor with your employer, in the hope that he, or those above you, will see your good work and advance you; it is not likely that they will do so.

The man who is merely a "good" workman, filling his place to the very best of his ability, and satisfied with that, is valuable to his employer; and it is not to the employer's interest to promote him; he is worth more where he is.

To secure advancement, something more is necessary than to be too large for your place.

The man who is certain to advance is the one who is too big for his place, and who has a clear concept of what he wants to be; who knows that he can become what he wants to be, and who is determined to BE what he wants to be.

Do not try to more than fill your present place with a view to pleasing your employer; do it with the idea of advancing yourself. Hold the faith and purpose of increase during work hours, after work hours, and before work hours. Hold it in such a way that every person who comes in contact with you, whether foreman, fellow workman, or social acquaintance, will feel the power of purpose radiating from you; so that every one will get the sense of advancement and increase from you. Men will be attracted to you, and if there is no possibility for advancement in your present job, you will very soon see an opportunity to take another job.

From: The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D Wattles

(Click on the image to view fullsize and download as wallpaper.)

Are you doing all that you can do?
Or do you get discouraged because you don't like your job?
Is it possible to do all that you can do when you are working at a job that doesn't suit you, or with people who don't appreciate you?

The Advancing Man

What I have said in the last chapter applies as well to the professional man and the wage-earner as to the man who is engaged in mercantile business.

No matter whether you are a physician, a teacher, or a clergyman, if you can give increase of life to others and make them sensible of the fact, they will be attracted to you, and you will get rich. The physician who holds the vision of himself as a great and successful healer, and who works toward the complete realization of that vision with faith and purpose, as described in former chapters, will come into such close touch with the Source of Life that he will be phenomenally successful; patients will come to him in throngs.

No one has a greater opportunity to carry into effect the teachings of this book than the practitioner of medicine; it does not matter to which of the various schools he may belong, for the principle of healing is common to all of them, and may be reached by all alike. The Advancing Man in medicine, who holds to a clear mental image of himself as successful, and who obeys the laws of faith, purpose, and gratitude, will cure every curable case he undertakes, no matter what remedies he may use.

In the field of religion, the world cries out for the clergyman who can teach his hearers the true science of abundant life. He who masters the details of the science of getting rich, together with the allied sciences of being well, of being great, and of winning love, and who teaches these details from the pulpit, will never lack for a congregation. This is the gospel that the world needs; it will give increase of life, and men will hear it gladly, and will give liberal support to the man who brings it to them.

What is now needed is a demonstration of the science of life from the pulpit. We want preachers who can not only tell us how, but who in their own persons will show us how. We need the preacher who will himself be rich, healthy, great, and beloved, to teach us how to attain to these things; and when he comes he will find a numerous and loyal following.

The same is true of the teacher who can inspire the children with the faith and purpose of the advancing life. He will never be "out of a job." And any teacher who has this faith and purpose can give it to his pupils; he cannot help giving it to them if it is part of his own life and practice.

What is true of the teacher, preacher, and physician is true of the lawyer, dentist, real estate man, insurance agent - of everybody.

The combined mental and personal action I have described is infallible, it cannot fail. Every man and woman who follows these instructions steadily, perseveringly, and to the letter, will get rich. The law of the Increase of Life is as mathematically certain in its operation as the law of gravitation; getting rich is an exact science.

The wage-earner will find this as true of his case as of any of the others mentioned. Do not feel that you have no chance to get rich because you are working where there is no visible opportunity for advancement, where wages are small and the cost of living high. Form your clear mental vision of what you want, and begin to act with faith and purpose.

From: The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D Wattles

(Click on the image to view fullsize and download as wallpaper.)

Any thoughts or ideas?
Agreements?
Disagreements?

Getting Into The Right Business

Success, in any particular business, depends for one thing upon your possessing in a well-developed state the faculties required in that business.

Without good musical faculty no one can succeed as a teacher of music; without well-developed mechanical faculties no one can achieve great success in any of the mechanical trades; without tact and the commercial faculties no one can succeed in mercantile pursuits. But to possess in a well-developed state the faculties required in your particular vocation does not insure getting rich. There are musicians who have remarkable talent, and who yet remain poor; there are blacksmiths, carpenters, and so on who have excellent mechanical ability, but who do not get rich; and there are merchants with good faculties for dealing with men who nevertheless fail.

The different faculties are tools; it is essential to have good tools, but it is also essential that the tools should be used in the Right Way. One man can take a sharp saw, a square, a good plane, and so on, and build a handsome article of furniture; another man can take the same tools and set to work to duplicate the article, but his production will be a botch. He does not know how to use good tools in a successful way.

The various faculties of your mind are the tools with which you must do the work which is to make you rich; it will be easier for you to succeed if you get into a business for which you are well equipped with mental tools.

Generally speaking, you will do best in that business which will use your strongest faculties; the one for which you are naturally "best fitted." But there are limitations to this statement also. No man should regard his vocation as being irrevocably fixed by the tendencies with which he was born.

You can get rich in ANY business, for if you have not the right talent for it you can develop that talent; it merely means that you will have to make your tools as you go along, instead of confining yourself to the use of those with which you were born. It will be EASIER for you to succeed in a vocation for which you already have the talents in a well-developed state; but you CAN succeed in any vocation, for you can develop any rudimentary talent, and there is no talent of which you have not at least the rudiment.

You will get rich most easily in point of effort, if you do that for which you are best fitted; but you will get rich most satisfactorily if you do that which you WANT to do.

Doing what you want to do is life; and there is no real satisfaction in living if we are compelled to be forever doing something which we do not like to do, and can never do what we want to do. And it is certain that you can do what you want to do; the desire to do it is proof that you have within you the power which can do it.


From: The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D Wattles

(Click on the image to view fullsize and download as wallpaper.)

Any thoughts or ideas?
Agreements?
Disagreements?

Do Not...

Do not give your creative impulse to Original Substance, and then sit down and wait for results; if you do, you will never get them. Act now. There is never any time but now, and there never will be any time but now. If you are ever to begin to make ready for the reception of what you want, you must begin now.

And your action, whatever it is, must most likely be in your present business or employment, and must be upon the persons and things in your present environment.

You cannot act where you are not; you cannot act where you have been, and you cannot act where you are going to be; you can act only where you are.

Do not bother as to whether yesterday's work was well done or ill done; do today's work well.

Do not try to do tomorrow's work now; there will be plenty of time to do that when you get to it.

Do not try, by occult or mystical means, to act on people or things that are out of reach.

Do not wait for a change of environment before you act; get a change of environment by action.

You can so act upon the environment in which you are now, as to cause yourself to be transferred to a better environment.

Hold with faith and purpose the vision of yourself in the better environment, but act upon your present environment with all your heart, and with all your strength, and with all your mind.

Do not spend any time in day dreaming or castle building; hold to the one vision of what you want, and act NOW.

Do not cast about seeking some new thing to do, or some strange, unusual or remarkable action to perform as a first step toward getting rich. It is probable that your actions, at least for some time to come, will be those you have been performing for some time past; but you are to begin now to perform these actions in the Certain Way, which will surely make you rich.

If you are engaged in some business and feel that it is not the right one for you, do not wait until you get into the right business before you begin to act.

Do not feel discouraged, or sit down and lament because you are misplaced. No man was ever so misplaced but that he could find the right place, and no man every became so involved in the wrong business but that he could get into the right business.

Hold the vision of yourself in the right business, with the purpose to get into it, and the faith that you will get into it, and are getting into it; but ACT in your present business. Use your present business as the means of getting a better one, and use your present environment as the means of getting into a better one. Your vision of the right business, if held with faith and purpose, will cause the Supreme to move the right business toward you; and your action, if performed in the Certain Way, will cause you to move toward the business.

If you are an employee, or wage earner, and feel that you must change places in order to get what you want, do not "project" your thoughts into space and rely on it to get you another job. It will probably fail to do so.

Hold the vision of yourself in the job you want, while you ACT with faith and purpose on the job you have, and you will certainly get the job you want.

Your vision and faith will set the creative force in motion to bring it toward you, and your action will cause the forces in your own environment to move you toward the place you want.

From: The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D Wattles

(Click on the image to view fullsize and download as wallpaper.)

Any thoughts or ideas?
Agreements?
Disagreements?

What if you're the boss?

If you have people working for you, you must take from them more in cash value than you pay them in wages; but you can so organize your business that it will be filled with the principle of advancement, and so that each employee who wishes to do so may advance a little every day.

You can make your business do for your employees what this book is doing for you. You can so conduct your business that it will be a sort of ladder, by which every employee who will take the trouble may climb to riches himeslf; and given the opportunity, if he will not do so it is not your fault.

From: The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D Wattles

(Click on the image to view fullsize and download as wallpaper.)

When someone does something for you, when you hire someone or pay someone to "do" for you, does it feel good? Like you've given them a way to step up? What would happen if every time you spent money, you were clear on how helpful that money was going to be? Would you spend more? Would there be more to spend?

When I am at work

When I am at work, I feel ____________________.

If you like what you just said... that's great! If what you just said shows you something interesting or uncomfortable about yourself that you'd like to change, now is the time to take steps to make some changes. Start first with that thought, how can you rewrite the sentence in a more positive way, and still make it sound and feel true for you?

Remember, if you rewrite the sentence to be how you "wish" it was, or how you think it "should" be, or even how you "want" it to be, it will not have nearly the effectiveness as it will if you can rewrite it in such a way that you KNOW the truth of it.

When you have your alternative sentence firmly fixed in your mind, it will begin to operate automatically in your life, filtering out experiences and ideas that do NOT reflect that positive statement.

As always, we all love to see what other people write - so log on and share. Something you say might be really helpful to those of us who read it.

My job

Finish this sentence with the first words that come into your mind:

I ___________ my job
because ______________.

If you like what you just said... that's great! If what you just said shows you something interesting or uncomfortable about yourself that you'd like to change, now is the time to take steps to make some changes. Start first with that thought, how can you rewrite the sentence in a more positive way, and still make it sound and feel true for you?

Remember, if you rewrite the sentence to be how you "wish" it was, or how you think it "should" be, or even how you "want" it to be, it will not have nearly the effectiveness as it will if you can rewrite it in such a way that you KNOW the truth of it.

When you have your alternative (most positive) statement firmly fixed in your mind, it will begin to operate automatically in your life, filtering out experiences and ideas that do NOT reflect that positive statement.

As always, we all love to see what other people write - so log on and share. Something you say might be really helpful to those of us who read it.

I am here to

Finish this sentence with the first words that come into your mind:

I am here to ___________.

If you like what you just said... that's great! If what you just said shows you something interesting or uncomfortable about yourself that you'd like to change, now is the time to take steps to make some changes. Start first with that thought, how can you rewrite the sentence in a more positive way, and still make it sound and feel true for you?

Remember, if you rewrite the sentence to be how you "wish" it was, or how you think it "should" be, or even how you "want" it to be, it will not have nearly the effectiveness as it will if you can rewrite it in such a way that you KNOW the truth of it.

When you have your alternative (most positive) statement firmly fixed in your mind, it will begin to operate automatically in your life, filtering out experiences and ideas that do NOT reflect that positive statement.

As always, we all love to see what other people write - so log on and share. Something you say might be really helpful to those of us who read it.

I work because

Welcome to day 2 of our 30 day project to change our thinking so that we can create positive change in our lives.

Finish this sentence with the first words that come into your mind:

I work because _________.

If you like what you just said... that's great! If what you just said shows you something interesting about yourself that you'd like to change, now is the time to take steps to make some changes. Start first with that thought, how can you rewrite the sentence to make it sound and feel true for you?

Once you have your alternative firmly fixed in your mind, you'll begin to notice that your attitude and your perceptions about your work will also begin to change.

We all love to see what other people write - so log on and share. Something you say might be really helpful to those of us who read it.

Unhappy With Your Job?

It could be worse!
You might go in to work every day and do this!!



All kidding aside, our next project - Creating Work You Love - will begin July 17. We'll be making a thoughtful exploration into how to have work and create lives that are authentic and fulfilling. Even if you already have a job you love, this next project has plenty of "food for thought."

We'd love to have you join us as we delve into this interesting book by Rick Jarrow. Do his techniques work? Does he have the answers? In this economy, is it even possible to create work you love? We're going to find out.

Fun With Work!

“Life without fun is like a dead flounder.”
SFX

No matter what you’re doing, no matter what you’re into, today, remember a time when you really, REALLY enjoyed your work.

When you were excited, motivated, inspired and you knew COMPLETELY why you were doing what you were doing.

When you had a really GOOD TIME at work, with work, and through work.
Remember what that was, and make a decision to DO MORE OF THAT.

Work is a big part of our lives, and if it isn’t fun, or it isn’t exciting, we are wasting the most precious commodity we have!

Your wildest dream!

Yesterday, I read the book "Sweat Your Prayers" by Gabrielle Roth. In it I found a story that I thought would be appropriate to this month's project. Here it is:

"We are whoever we can imagine ourselves to be. Years ago I met an American girl from the Deep South on the beach in Sitges, Spain, who fantasized about being a nanny for Princess Grace in Monaco. On a whim she mailed a letter to Her Royal Highness. A few weeks later she received an airplane ticket to Monaco for an interview. She got the job. I never forgot this story and often tell it to people who think their dreams are too wild to come true."

That little story got me thinking. I was wondering if she got the job because she was extraordinarily qualified? or because it was so audacious? maybe both? and did she tell anyone that she was going to do that? was she excited and happy when she wrote the letter? was she so sure that it was a fantasy that she attached absolutely no expectations to it at all? was she surrounded by people who said to her "you can do anything you choose"?

All of which brings me to my next question: Is there something audacious and wild that you would like to do? Something so interesting, so fantastic, so exciting, that you would never even think of attempting it? Is there a letter you could write that might open the way for that wildly fantastic notion? Is there a phone call? a website you could visit? an ad you could put in the paper? What about Oprah? Is there some small action you could put forth to start that ball rolling? Are you afraid of how interesting and wonderful your life could be? So what if you fail? Approximately one billion Chinese couldn't care less! So how about it? Wanna start something big?

Lets list our wildest dreams here, and then brainstorm with each other as to what small, simple action could be done to get the ball rolling. I dare you to think outside the box... way outside the box... something grand and impossible. Something wonderful. Who's up for it?

Saying YES to our right jobs

Today we are accepting and being grateful that what we have visioned for ourselves is ours for the taking.

Visioning our Work

This is what employees at the Google Building in New York get to enjoy. Today we are visioning something even better for ourselves!

For Shirley: I get up in the morning, piddle around, drink a nice cup of organic Ecuadorian coffee, and think about how good it is to be alive. And then I get into my great little car and zip off to a work place that is fun, creative, interesting, and challenging. I see it as a large warehouse space filled with art projects, with a state of the art computer system, a hot tub, and other creative and interesting people whom I know and love. If I want to, I bring my dog - or my granddaughter - or a friend. At the end of the day, we all wind down with margaritas, or an ice cold Grolsh, and the hot tub. We laugh, we talk, we play, and money just pours in. It's not MY company, it's OUR company. We do what we do because we love it, we give generously of our time and talent because it feels so good to play in that way.

There!
That's my perfect job!

For Daniel: I wake up every morning in my beautiful bedroom in my beautiful house, which by the way is #80 Janssen Pl. I have a breakfast of, oh, probably Orange juice, yogurt and toast and egg whites. After getting dressed I go into my office/library and look over my busy schedule of appointments. Mostly meeting with artists, gallery openings and fund raisers. This is the busy but satisfying life of a philanthropist. Yep, my dream job is to give away money. To support artists and the arts, to give scholarships to interesting kids so they can live thier dreams etc...

I have dreamt of this job since I was a kid, really, and I know the opportunity to start living it is unfolding know.

For Melissa: The desires of my heart for my career are to be independent and creative, and to create something that is lasting and touches people's lives. I want to feel fulfilled by my work, and to have just the right amount of challenge. I want to have many streams of income. I want to enjoy harmony and clear communication with my coworkers, and to receive the credit and recognition that I deserve.

For Michelle: For my career I would love for my children to have awesome education, and for me to be able to do and sell art as well, abundantly so.

For Cindy: I want a job where I don't need the money - all financial things are taken care of regardless. I see myself setting my own hours, getting up without setting an alarm clock, going to work - maybe even working at my home - where there are lots of animals around and whatever work I'm doing involves animals and their well-being. This "job" makes me feel loved and appreciated and makes me feel that I am making my mark in the world, making a difference!

Our Work

Work, employment, career, life path, dharma, job, business, vocation, etc.
What is it that would bring you the most joy and freedom?
How would you like to "make your living"?

Remove hazards to your career

Removing hazardous elements from your Career area:

Get rid of any dirt in this area. When you mix dirt and water, you get mud! Pictures of mountains and clay pots can even muddy up the water. No squares either, since squares represent earth (which is made of dirt…) The same goes for earth-tone-colored items.

Remove pictures from this area of anything you would never want to do in your life.

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

Get your career moving

Feng Shui activity for today:
Add a symbol

Water is the element for this area. An aquarium, a fountain, or a vase of good clean water will do. Symbolic water works too – a snowy scene in a picture, a watercolor painting, starfish, or seashells work great here.

The shape of water is free-form and undulating, so any shape will work, except for square shapes (which symbolize earth, and we don’t want earth damming up our free-flowing water.)

Mirrors equal water (and they let you see how fabulous you look dressed for your new career!) Place the mirror at a level where you can look yourself in the eye and see your entire head, so you will get ahead in business.

Glass is another water element – vases, aquariums, fish bowls, stemware.

Metal of any kind works here, as well as round items – coins, bells, plant pots, light fixtures.

Hang symbols here of the Life Path you want to be on. If you want to be in the music industry, pipe music into this area, or place instruments or CDs here. If you want to be a stockbroker, a picture of Wall Street or a copy of the Wall Street Journal should be here. While you are adding symbols of your life path, be sure to remove pictures of things you would never want to do in your life.




Two activities to help the energy in your Career area:

Place some uncooked rice in a bowl. Take all the miscellaneous change you accumulate each day and place it in the bowl. Do this for thirty days. After thirty days is up, count up all the change, and give 10% to your favorite charity or a homeless person.

Write down the things you think you want out of life, or the things you think you need to begin a career, on pieces of paper – one item per paper. Fold up the papers and place them in a bowl, and stir them with a big spoon or your hand each day for nine days. All of your intentions and requests that once did not have any chi behind them will now be enlivened and start to work for you because you are stirring them up.