Okay, it's another Friday the 13th...
like the Devil Doll really scaring the daylights out of me. In that movie, an evil magician trapped his victim's consciousness in a ventriloquist dummy.
To put Buddhist teachings into practice, a special type of gradual effort is needed.
It is much too difficult to put all Buddhist principles into practice perfectly at once. People who try to do this will probably give up in days.
Instead, you need to make small improvements, one at a time. Then, once an improvement has become a habit, adding another improvement till you are living more and more of the Buddhist life by habit.
For instance, an improvement might be to remember to do a kind deed every day. To keep this up till it becomes a habit is enough to keep anyone busy.
So right effort is about making improvements gradually but then keeping them up forever. It is about making improvements at a pace which is easy enough for you to keep up. It is like a long-distance runner, who deliberately runs at a slow pace which it is possible to keep up for miles. It is the opposite of a sprinter, who can run very fast during a short race but cannot keep this up for longer.
Right effort also means paying equal attention both to doing more good, kind things and to doing fewer harmful things.
Right effort can also involve praising yourself and rewarding yourself for progress in following Buddhist teachings.
http://www.reep.org/gardens/buddhism/eightfold-path.php#top
Make yourself a list of things you want to improve about your business. Here are a few things you might be thinking about as you grow your business.
Are you concerned about the origin of your supplies? Are your customer service skills up to snuff? Do you manage your time well enough so that your family doesn't feel neglected? Do you want to be a "green" business?
Set realistic goals for yourself. Take your time and change your business plan gradually. If you're worried about the supplies you're using, research more cost effective suppliers whose business practices are in line with your personal beliefs.
If the family is feeling neglected, set up special family times or if they want to, involve them in simple tasks that will help you with your business or household tasks.
Make gradual changes in what you do and you will find it much easier to run a more people and environmentally friendly business.
