Hey Tom:

It just so happens that Roberta, in her thread “Inspirational videos & books” posted less than 5 hours after you did a YouTube video link called “Right livelihood: work as love with Mei Elliot” and I wonder if it may be of some help to you.

I am reading: “The core of Mei Elliott’s teaching is that Right Livelihood is not just about what job you have — it’s about the quality of heart you bring to whatever work you do. She reframes work as a daily opportunity to practice love, presence, and ethical care.

Instead of seeing work as a source of pressure, self‑worth, or anxiety, she invites people to relate to work as a form of service: a way to reduce suffering, increase connection, and act from compassion. She emphasizes that Right Livelihood is grounded in the Buddha’s ethics — non‑harm, honesty, and integrity — but also in tenderness: the intention to meet each task with awareness rather than self‑judgment.

She speaks about how work becomes distorted when driven by fear, perfectionism, or the need to prove oneself, and how it becomes liberating when approached with kindness toward oneself and others. The talk encourages listeners to soften around the idea of “success,” to release the pressure of productivity, and to let work be an expression of love rather than a measure of personal value.”

I know about a few of the significant negatives of your job and that you’ve been looking for a better one for a long time. And I am thinking that- for as long as you are doing the job you do- maybe some change in attitude, as is described in this video, will help…?

Anita