Unfolding Value in Uncertain Times

We are passing through uncertain times. Thanks to the lockdowns forced by the Covid 19 pandemic, and also the rise of Augmented Intelligence, our existing notions of “work” are crumbling rapidly. To borrow from Abraham Lincoln, “ The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.” Is our life for business, or is a business meant to serve life? What exactly is of value to people in these disruptive times? How can we call forth the best in us in the service of others? How can we move away from a civilization obsessed with money, to one that unfolds and nourishes true value for all? 

The silver linings of clouds remind us that the sun is shining behind them. Behind the turbulence and disruptions that we are seeing today, lies an infinite ocean of value and true wealth. How can we unfold this value individually and collectively? How can we co-create a life that works for all?

The tool I am sharing below is a simple, easy to remember roadmap for unfolding value. It outlines a creative journey from the silent presence of the Heart , to fluent communication and service, and finally to unfolding and creating value. 

The tool consists of five large petals and five overlapping transitions. Each large petal represents a Stage in the cyclical journey. Each overlapping transition is an Action Practice that connects us from one stage to the next. Let’s look at each Stage (large petal) and Action Practice (overlapping transitions) in detail.

STAGE 1 | SILENT

This refers to abidance in the silence of the Heart. By “Heart” we mean the silent witnessing awareness that sees everything but cannot be seen. The Heart is a powerful source of joyful creation. The regular practice of mindfulness connects us to the Heart. It creates a deep clearing within. The clutter of the past and anxieties of the future are bypassed. One is spaciously present in the moment and has direct experience of peace and silence.An apt metaphor for this space within is the “Sky”. It is a space of openness, new ideas, possibility and potential which is very generative. It is the perfect foundation for the next step which is to listen.

An apt metaphor for this space within is the “Sky”. It is a space of openness, new ideas, possibility and potential which is very generative. It is the perfect foundation for the next step, which is to listen.

Action Practice 1 | Pause

Pausing for a few minutes, several times a day, is the Action Practice to anchor us in Silence. It is about paying attention to what the senses are bringing into awareness. This is a powerfully effective way of coming home to the Silence and Peace that is eternally present. Our innermost essence, Silent Witnessing Awareness (SWA) is like the screen on which the movie of our life is unfolding moment to moment. This is an impeccable foundation for deep listening.

STAGE 2 | LISTEN

When we are silent inside and totally present in the moment, our capacity to listen with empathy increases. We notice subtle non-verbal cues and start to have a better grasp of the feelings and perspectives of the person to whom we are listening. Besides opening new vistas for the listener, this also gets one to see potential opportunities for dialogue and value creation. One begins to notice inlets (or pathways) leading to the Heart of the other person. These are invariably connected with the strengths or areas of interest of the other. They are indicators of what the other is passionate about, or values deeply.

Action Practice 2 | Heal

The compassion that underlies the act of listening, is a powerful force for healing. It helps to reconnect one back to the Heart. The listener is already anchored in the wholeness of the Heart. Through listening, one is offering value (undivided attention, presence, space and opportunity to freely open up) to the other. Listening also serves to highlight avenues/pathways to reach the Heart of another human being. It shows you ways in which the other is “quickened” i.e. windows through which the light of spirit shines in the other. These windows are the inlets for healing.

STAGE 3 | INLETS

Inlets are gateways to the creative energy of the one who is being listened to. They are pathways to the Heart of the other. This idea came alive for me early one morning when I was walking my four dogs. It was still dark. I could just about see the road. We passed a barrier made of corrugated iron sheets with gaps between the sheets. There was a very strong source of light on the other side of the barrier. On the road where we were walking, I saw beams of light coming out of the gaps in the barrier, making neat straight strips of light on the road. The epiphany that hit me in that goose-bumpy moment was that the beams of light take you to the gaps in the barrier. Beaming light shows you the inlets! Inlets are simply opportunities to serve the deepest needs of the one to whom we are listening. If we listen well, we will find needs that are expressed and also those that are still unexpressed. When we serve by offering a service that is valuable to the other (and serve their deepest needs), we begin to enlist the person into the flow of life. 

Action Practice 3 | Serve

Once we know the shape of a lock, we know the structure of the key that will unlock it! Having found the inlets to a person’s Heart, our practices then become ones of service i.e. sharing from the gifts we have to serve the needs of the other. This will pave the way for their joining the larger play of life. This is what we called enlisting. 

STAGE 4 | ENLIST

LIFE is a dance … of Love in Full Expression! We are either dancing in tune with life, or we exist like isolated and disconnected islands. When we are enlisted with life, we are whole and one. We are also open to fluent giving and receiving. This is wholeness. It is the foundation of the infinite creation. To enlist another person into the flow of life, we find ways to serve and heal the other by fulfilling their expressed needs. As value is created and abundance increases, true wealth grows.

Action Practice 4 | Create

The act of identifying a person’s needs and serving those needs is an act of creation. It is a spontaneous outcome of being one with life. It is both a manifestation of (and source of) the abundance of life. It is the generator of many different forms of value. These valuable things that are created last for some time. They then dissolve back into the infinite ocean of life.

STAGE 5 | TINSEL

Tinsel is a form of decoration made from thin strips of shiny metal foil. The word “Tinsel” also refers to showy or superficial attractiveness or glamour. Material wealth is valuable for making life more comfortable and healthier. But beyond a point, it does not hold the capacity to give one lasting Peace and Happiness. That can only come from the Silence of the Heart and from selfless service! In our tool, Tinsel refers to the intrinsic emptiness of material wealth. It represents things that are not of much lasting value. Things that come and go like the confetti thrown at a wedding. Understanding the impermanence and lack of intrinsic value of material wealth will bring us back to the inner space of Silence.

 When we see material wealth as a passing phenomenon and not of much lasting value, two things happen: 1) we begin to relax into playfulness; and 2) we recognize that True Wealth has nothing to do with external material wealth. It comes from the deeper human values of Silence, Peace, Compassion and Creativity… all attributes of the Heart!

Action Practice 5 | Celebrate

When we are dancing with all of life, abiding steadily in the spaciousness and peace of the Heart, what else is there to do but celebrate! When we own the capacity for deep listening to heal and serve people (a direct expression of our love), what is there to do but celebrate? When we can serve and enlist anyone in the dance of life by finding pathways to their Heart and sharing our gifts, the ensuing joy and peace are worth celebrating. When we can create as much material wealth as we want, and know that the wealth we create is as ephemeral as dewdrops on leaves on a warm summer morning, what else is there to do but celebrate? All these understandings bring us back home to the Silence and peace of the Heart. This is True Wealth and this completes the cycle. Play on and expand the lasting joy of compassionate service…of LIFE as Love in Full Expression!

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 Am grateful to my talented daughter Nitya Wakhlu, for her help with the illustrations and layouts of this article. You can reach her at [email protected]

Thank you for reading this Note. Would love your feedback and insights. You can reach me at [email protected]