Book Review essay

Do what you love, the money will follow: Discovering your right to livelihood by Marsha Sinetar

 The book Do what you love, the money will follow: Discovering your right to livelihood by Marsha Sinetar may become a good guide for clients exploring career decisions. Clients should be aware that this book does not present a rigid manual or any instructions which steps to take in order to earn money and be successful at work. It is rather a book for self-analysis and self-development. It provides useful tips for self-realization in the career field. This work is devoted to the review of the book and ways of its possible practical implementation for clients.

This book can be used on any stage of career planning but it is especially suitable at the beginning of the career promotion. Sinetar in her book explores spiritual aspects of any work, she calls them “right livelihood”. It is a famous Buddhist concept which states that working with pleasure brings fruitful results and financial independence. Sinetar writes that the right work is the “work consciously chosen, done with full awareness and care, and leading to enlightenment” (Sinetar). So, the first and the most important step is to choose the right sphere.

Sinetar insists that it does not matter in which sphere you will be a master and professional ”“ you can the best carpenter or world banker.

Everybody should remember that the carefully chosen sphere guarantees success a priori. Doing something that you like mobilizes all your abilities and reveals your hidden potential in this sphere. After all, effective and successful work and satisfaction, as a result, lead to professional and personal growth which means the development of the personality.

Clients should be aware that every work and job is aimed to develop their personality. Spiritual approach to work presumes conscious and permanent spiritual search during the work time. Using this approach the works becomes rather a mission than an instrument of money earning. This approach is contrasted with the descriptive and factor approaches. These approaches are also oriented on the conscious choice of the profession, however, they are more concentrated on the personality than on his or her mission. Spiritual approach to work allows to extend your thinking and see your job from a new perspective. I am now occupied with prevention program at a high school. My task is to help young people to stay at school. I provide case management services for this purpose. Now I start realizing how important it may be for the students. It may influence their further life and my task is to do my best. Using spiritual approach to my job I start thinking about aims and consequences of my actions and see them in perspective.

Right livelihood is the main topic of the book and it is a bright example of the spiritual approach to work and life. However, the author also presents such notions as commitment and mindfulness. The feeling of satisfaction and success allows us to overcome difficulties and solve problems. “When we are excited about what we are doing, when we are progressively moving toward the realization of meaningful goals, the difficulties become solvable problems, not insurmountable obstacles” (Sinetar). Another important point in any work is mindfulness.

Conscious presence and choice of actions can lead to success. Absorption and deep involvement are keys of effectiveness at work.

This book may be especially useful for the young age group because young people’s minds are open for innovative ideas and changes and such people can easily apply new knowledge for their career making. Sinetar presents general ideas about successful work and personal self-esteem, so these ideas can be interesting for all age groups. Another question is how difficult it may be for the old generation to change their job and work for inner pleasure.

The style of narration is simple and comprehensible. The book does not have a lot of concepts or definitions. It analyzes the choice of career from the psychological point of view, so it is oriented on the wide range of readers. One of its disadvantages is the fact that it does not give any practical tips or guides. It presents theoretical side of the problem of career choice and may seem useless for people who prefer exact instructions. However, on the one hand, it is a unique book that shows us how to use our career in order to reach spiritual development and satisfaction. It speaks about work with pleasure and personal realization at the workplace.