Value 11: January 2023
Sometimes inner awe washes over me when I watch my son lost in play. As I’m writing this, I’m picturing him running against the wind with his arms outstretched like a flying bird, completely absorbed in the moment and embodying the spirit of Value 11. I get swept up in the awe and feel a deep sense of gratitude to witness this moment in clear light. Thankfully for me, awe comes easily in times like these. Awe is much more elusive—to be honest, I haven’t found it yet—in relationships where joy isn’t flying at me. I’ve spent the last week with my elderly father, who’s entering late-stage dementia. We’ve always struggled to understand one another, my dad and I. When he started to show signs of dementia, I started doing the work of shifting the energy between us in a positive way. Incremental change happened by way of acceptance and meditation, which helped me exercise showing up and letting go. I wish I could say I was able to do this with every interaction. I still struggle. Sometimes I show up and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I’m compassionate and sometimes I’m petty. What never leaves me though is a curiosity and commitment to experiencing the clear light between our senses of “self.” How might I find the Value 11 between us? That’s a question I want to hold onto. What might help I suppose is to imagine a time when my dad also felt a sense of awe when he watched us kids absorbed in play or other moments that brought him joy and connectedness. What about you? What comes to mind when you think about Value 11, a value closely related to awe? How do you find your way to it?
To kick off the New Year, we offer this short meditation to help you explore Value 11: