98 On Work, Self-inquiry, and Meditation

Beloved Dharia,

Love.
There are three components to the "work" I'm asking you to do.
One is meditation (and all the techniques that involves), the second is self-inquiry, and the last is WORKING in the real world, doing something productive.

Your list of things to examine is a part of self-inquiry, and its very good.
What you should do, on a regular basis, is ask yourself these three questions (which your list partially connects to):
1. Why am I doing a certain thing/acting a certain way?
2. What is it I'm missing/not seeing?
3. What is the next step?

If you ask those three questions on a regular basis you will be involved in a regular process of self-inquiry that will help you make breakthroughs in meditation.

Finally, I have said it to you more than a dozen times, you do not seem to hear it, but I will say it again:  WORK!
Do not sit around like a vegetable.
Your work must be in the world.
It can be work for which you're paid, it can be work that you aren't paid for, it could even be work you pay to do (like school!).
That doesn't matter.
It can be volunteering, working with a club, or taking classes.
What matters is that you are doing some kind of regular process of productive activity, participating in human society in some important way.

This is all a part of learning to be human, and if you think that meditation is "more important" than working or self inquiry, then you will be deluding yourself into escapism.
All three are necessary and complementary to each other.

Love
Swami