Contributor: Kyle Smeby

The New Economy

The Celestine Prophecy boldly predicts a new economy as the people of the world move closer to enlightenment. A spiritual economy where we pay others for the insights they enable us to have, and ultimately leads to the elimination of currency altogether as everyone pursues their own spiritual work.

In fairness to the author, James Redfield leads into this with a series of gradual steps that make the proposition a little easier to believe, but it's still difficult to imagine such a thing. Who's going to collect the garbage; keep the sewers working; fix the roads; etc.? Redfield uses the future of automation (robotics) to whisk these problems away. That future sounds enticing, but we're stuck in the present time and robots aren't going to paint my house before I have to. So we work to get things done or to afford to get them done. "If you don't work, you don't eat" was the motto 400 years ago in Jamestown, the first successful European settlement in North America, and it would still seem to hold true today.

There would appear to be exceptions to this rule. Celebrities like artists, actors and athletes are richly rewarded for doing what seems to come naturally to them. We can tell ourselves it's because they are somehow exceptional, but that's a poor reason since it would imply that we are not. Or we can say it's because they were willing to sacrifice, endure hardship or take a chance that we are unable, or unwilling, to make. The latter would seem more likely. The starving artists and the injured athletes warn us sensible types to stay away from those risky career paths. Even in cases where the success wasn't necessarily hard earned, there was at least the risk of failure to keep the more timid at bay. In addition, the high reward attracts a lot of competition ensuring that those with the most drive, connections and ability take the few prizes available in those fields and that those who falter are quickly replaced. In the end celebrity status sounds more and more like work; and those that obtained it did so by wanting it so badly they could look past all the necessary sacrifices to get there.

Talent vs. Desire

I used to draw when I was growing up, ultimately receiving a bachelor's degree in design. Sometimes when I drew, people would talk about talent, or say, "I wish I could draw." The fact is they didn't really wish they could draw, or they would. It wasn't lack of talent that stopped them it was lack of desire. As children, we all drew. As we got older some kids stopped, others didn't. When I quit piano lessons after a couple of years, it wasn't because I lacked talent (those that heard me play might say otherwise) it was because I really didn't want to do the work to become good at playing the piano. In other words, I really didn't want to play the piano. The word "Talent" is often given as an excuse rather than a compliment. A word that dismisses the hard work and desire that makes one person good at something to justify those of us that aren't willing to do what it takes to be good at it ourselves.

Follow Your Bliss

It's hard to say what makes individuals choose what it is they want to be good at. They might see an example they wish to emulate; receive proper encouragement; have the desire to prove to someone that they can? Regardless, once they choose that thing, they feel they are doing what they were meant to do. Mythology professor Joseph Campbell said almost all spiritual systems seemed to point to a very simple truth, "follow your bliss." The things you enjoy doing are probably the things you should be doing.

Campbell's meaning was obvious, but I'll add this caveat for any naysayer. Do what you love to do that is productive and constructive. If you took away all of your passive entertainment options, what would you do? Yardwork, cooking, drawing, writing, car maintenance, build Lego models, exercise, etc.? The spiritual economy is finding something you would be willing to do for free, and then finding a way to get paid for it. I'm not saying it will be easy, only that it is possible. You may need to get creative adapting something you love doing into something that is commercially viable, but people do it all the time. Fantasy football fanatics create websites and magazines dedicated to it, a cook writes a cookbook, a dancer opens a school of dance.

I often find the simplest dreams the most inspiring. A college friend of mine lost all the big scholarships in his community to the brightest kid in school, but that kid didn't want to go to college. He wanted to be a logger, like his father. He enjoyed working out in the woods among the trees and hated the idea of sitting in a classroom or office. Everyone, including his father, told him logging was a terrible thing to do and that he should go to college. He went and was miserable for a year, dropped out, became a logger and has been happy ever since.

I met a contractor recently because I need some work done on my driveway. I only had to talk to him for a minute before I realized he loved his work. He felt like he was the luckiest kid in the world who got to keep playing in the dirt and get paid for it. Consequently his bid was the best and I was happy to give him the job.

There are people that love numbers and make great accountants and bookkeepers, extroverts that love meeting people and make great salesmen. Some souls even find comfort doing simple repetitive tasks day after day. If everyone did what they loved we might discover many professions that we think undesirable would still find eager employees in people that had been pushed toward more "lucrative" careers.

Money vs. Wealth

In The Secret James Arthur Ray says having lots of money isn't necessarily wealth. If your health is suffering or your personal and professional life isn't satisfying you aren't wealthy. If you're afraid that you can't do what you love because you couldn't make enough money, how do you define enough? Are you spending money on the things you really want, or the things you think you want? As I said in my review of The Secret they tend to over emphasize materialistic goals like new cars and big houses. Those goals are the ones advertisers want us to chase and they make it look as appealing as possible but I don't think true fulfillment of purpose will ever be the result of a purchase.

"Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need"
--Tyler Durden, Fight Club (the movie)

I was intrigued a few years ago when movies like Fight Club and American Beauty were hits at the box office. Both movies followed protagonists, dissatisfied with their life and work, that lashed out in destructive rebellion against the wrongs committed against them by society. But neither character succeeds in finding meaning or purpose in their life because they had no purpose or goal in mind. Fight Club was anti-materialism, American Beauty was anti-conformism, but neither was pro-anything. As such they represent only the first step towards finding a higher purpose; casting off the shackles of want and convention. But what next?

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

Baby Steps to Get You There

Practically speaking, I'm not saying you should quit your job today and turn that figurine-painting hobby of yours into a multi-national corporation. I don't believe dissatisfaction with your current job is a reason to make a transition out of it. Nor do I want to belittle your responsibilities to your family, or co-workers. What I'm suggesting is that you find the things you love to do and throw yourself into them as fully as you can. Find things you love at your current job, at home and with your family and do them like you love doing them. If you can't find something you love, find something that you like and act like you love it--eventually you will. Your ability to do it will improve with practice and your desire to get better at it. When you do something that you love with the intensity of a person that loves it you will stand out from those doing it because it's their job. As such your value within that field will increase and you will be rewarded accordingly.

It's not a birthright that you should be required to do only the things you love to do, but the power is within you to love whatever it is you do. When we find that power we find success and the world moves one step closer to perfection.