On this last day of 2019 and in this final post on Right Action, I want to talk about the danger of inaction. We’ve been talking about how to make sure we do the right things, and avoid doing the wrong things. We want to be mindful that our actions reflect our values and intentions, which can feel like an overwhelming task sometimes. But the worst thing we can do is let this freeze us into a state of doing nothing.

In other words, we don’t want to become like Chidi on The Good Place. If you haven’t seen the show, Chidi is a philosophy professor who spends his whole life trying to decipher the most ethical choices. But the more he learns, the more confusing the question of ethics become. So Chidi finds himself endlessly stuck in indecision. He’s so scared to do the wrong thing that he doesn’t end up doing anything at all.

I can see how practicing Right Action can make us feel a little bit like Chidi.  The truth is, every action we take carries the possibility of causing harm. We can’t avoid doing something “wrong” even when we make every intention of doing what’s right. The world is too complicated and interconnected for it to be that clear-cut.

But practicing Right Action doesn’t mean getting stuck in a vortex of confusion about these things. It means looking as clearly as possible at things and avoiding what we know will cause harm. If you remember, the three main tenets of Right Action are pretty straightforward. Don’t take life. Don’t take what isn’t yours. And don’t sexually abuse or overpower people. These are clear examples of actions that create obvious harm. Even the more subtle intention of not abusing our senses feels pretty clear-cut. We know hangovers and numbing, avoiding actions are not in our highest interest. If we stick to these basic things, we honor the intention of Right Action well.

As we begin a new year and a new decade,  the world needs our best attempts. Perfection is not required. But doing nothing? That dooms us. Inaction is dangerous. It leaves us right where we are, instead of giving us the freedom to learn and grow in the days to come.

So don’t get stuck in indecision and inaction. Don’t spend so much time trying to decide what to do that you waste another year not doing anything at all. Sometimes, we just have to do the next best thing.

Failure is inevitable. And since failure is unavoidable, what if we put our energy toward doing the best we can with what we have available to us right now? What if we decide to act boldly as best we can, and promise to learn from whatever mistakes and missteps happen?

We live in a world that suffers. There is so much work to do. Find one small corner, one issue, one personal calling. Follow it as best you can. Search your inner life. Find one thing that could use more light and love. Seek to change it. Trust that our right actions bring beauty and goodness that nourish us for the journey ahead.

Happy New Year, all. And stay tuned for our next step on the path later this week!

This post belongs to my series on practicing the eightfold path. You can read all my posts on Right Action here.