Loving Kindness and Assessment

Dacher offers a wonderful meditation exercise:

May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.
May all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness.
May I assist all individuals in gaining freedome from suffering.
May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness, and wholeness.

Long ago I made the decision that I wanted to be of service to others. As someone who has (from time to time) found themselves in leadership positions...I practice the concept of servant leadership. As stated in the movie Eli -- do for others more than you do for yourself. This is a hard concept...many believe that this style of leadership is weak and does not hold people accountable...I suggest instead that this style of leadership is strong and holds people even more accountable (to themselves). As I consider the meditation offered above, I am reminded in the last two lines of the commitment I made to being of service to others in helping them to reach their full potential and to be happy, healthy and whole. Upon reflection of the first two lines, I am reminded that I need to include myself in this same pursuit...

As mentioned in other discussions and posts, the inclusion of self is sometimes the hardest -- the reason? To include yourself in this goal requires a feeling of worth, and forgiveness. It is often easy to forgive others...but is difficult to give yourself the same courtesy.

The meditation is WONDERFUL as it helps open the heart to others. When using the words to turn the focus inward, it can also be revealing as it leads to a true evaluation of self.

Which leads me to Dacher's Integral Assessment. Using the Integral approach to understand where I am in my growth and how to focus energy for further development is energizing. Over the past two years, I have worked hard to let my ego die and instead ask how I can be of service. This path has been more difficult then I would have thought -- and even now I can sense moments of inward focus and feelings of victimazation instead of holding myself accountable and transforming an event.

When considering how to best focus my own energy, I am aware of Dacher's words that "Integral health does not require that we develop fully in every way" (p. 111).  Even with this concept in mind, I know that while full development in *every* category may not be required...due to the connection between each aspect of self, there is also a "base level" needed.  In the four quadrants, my current focus in on fitness/nutrition and family with additional special focus being given to mind/spiritual development along the cognitive and conative areas of focus.

I believe that much of the needed knowledge is already internal...and so the challenge will be learning to listen and to fully leverage the gifts I have been given.  Having gone through open heart surgery and survived cancer (and chemotherapy -- amazing that the cure for a disease is sometimes as bad as the disease), I see these medical episodes as gifts for my own development.  Each one being a "wake up" to deeper levels of personal understanding and growth...

So -- the work continues!  If forced to select a specific focus, then it is on the body.  My body must become stronger as I seek to more fully develop the mind and the spirit.  Just like three legs of a stool...all must be functional and development or the result is that the stool falls over.

Have a great week!

David