LP course question - embodying a value

[Happy Lizard]

I have a question about the life purpose course, about embodying a value.

What does that mean exactly ? and how is it different form a tangible description of what or how it should look like specifically from my own perspective?
 

for example one of my values is helping people. I know it in my coure that I value helping people. I have a definition of how that would look like, my answer is: working on a project that represents handicapped or disabled people in a good artistic way( I value art and want my work - like advertisement or poster or whatever it might become -  to  be dedicated a portion of it to people that I feel need to be supported and accepted in society .) I also wrote that I want to educate people about how and what to eat and how organic food is the best for us, the plant and the soil. I intend to do this trough art as well.

Some other thoughts popped into my mind like helping elderly people who need physical help, or help people communicate better or use non violent ways of communicating, but i dont know how to make the prior into my life purpose and in what way?? I know that I enjoy helping people who cant left something heavy or help a blind person cross the street or something like that, but dont know how to weave that into a life purpose? And with the latter, making a course about communication or teaching people in public sounds improbable. And these are just few examples I can think of and kind of thought about while contemplating how would I like helping people and in what areas; I can probably think of many more ways of helping people! Yet I dont know how to make a valid answer about embodying the value of helping people, can I say for example when I have worked on a project that help x people and whenever I see people needing of help I go and help them? Idk it doesn’t seem too concrete.

 

one other example for the value of spirituality I wrote : having a daily spiritual practice like meditation or any other practice as for the tangible answer.  and for the embodying answer mine was: having my own definition of spirituality that I enjoy and or having an awakening experience that gives me the authority to have my own understanding of spirituality and can teach people about it. It doesn’t have to be something grand just enough for me. 

 

 I want to know if im going about this correctly?

 

 

[Michael569]

Embodying a core value goes a bit deeper than describing a project associated with holding on to that value. The things you are describing is the micro level of embodiment, the small tasks and projects you are working on. 

Think about this question from a macro perspective. 

Embodiment means, in what way, is that value part of your personality? How do you embody that value the way you talk, the way you interact with people and environment the way you perceive your role in society? How is every conscious moment of your time being directed to honour that value?

A core value is like an extension of your mind, it is inseparable from your personality, in fact the cluster of your core values are one of the things that make you "who you are". 

Let's take an example of "Helping people" - embodying that value will extend beyond a project you are working on. It is all of the following and more: 

• In what ways are you improving yourself to be of better service to others? 
• What routines and habits are you developing to be able to honour that value better? 
• How are you eliminating factors that prevent you from serving other people better (e.g. egocentric friends, nay-sayers, toxic environment) 
• what do you do each day to be better at that thing you really value? 
• How do you see yourself evolving over the years to embody that value even more and become a living & breathing epitome of "the caretaker" 

These things are kinda hard to put into words because they may seem a bit general and vague but I think you know what I mean. Like when you look at a person that lives and breathes what they are preaching. That you can see the energy, wisdom and experience shining through the pores of their skin (as woo woo as that sounds). That's the true embodiment. 

does that make sense? 

Edited June 21, 2023 by Michael569

[Happy Lizard]

@Michael569 Hi, thanks for replying! 

To answer your question are the end: Sort of … Well I was very confused b/c Leo in the course said that this exercise is quick and should be fun and easy to do/contemplate/and think about ( the sense that I got was it will sort of come to you without too much force and deep contemplation ). So I treated it as such but also the question itself - I’m talking about the LP course for the context of this thread-  “how do I know that/when I embody x value” which to me sounds like a question to clear all doubts that you might not have thought about this value enough, meaning you don’t pass this round of the LP course without having had clearly pined down that value is yours and it’s important to you. If you dont; that means its one of your week values and you haven’t thought about it enough. Which is kind of a strange question especially when talking about grand and general values like spirituality wisdom or charity “ I mean what am I going to say? When I’m a buddah then I’m for certain have embodied spirituality/wisdom without a doubt ?” Sounds silly, but either that or speak about what you Imagine you yourself can do to embody that one value (another phrasing  we can use : what is your grand vision for yourself  that allows you to say yup I have done enough work in my view to say I embody and am still continuing to embody x value) 

Otherwise this should take me years to pin down correctly, continuously contemplating how to embody x value and writing about, it would not be easy and quick. I hope I’m not writing to much to illustrate my point, but Are you getting a sense of what I’m trying to say? 

the questions you gave me are great to ask oneself to keep yourself embodying ones values in one’s own life.  kind of like individual gym classes for each value to make sure you are not losing “ muscle mass” in one area or another.
 

I don’t know if I’m missing something or not understanding the phrasing/meaning of the question correctly but this is my mental process of it at least.

[Michael569]

@Happy Lizard

Its a complicated question, I'm with you, I remember being a bit stuck on this part back then. You could be thinking about it from a perspective of building a framework. Think of where you would like to be with that particular value, what would it be like to embody the value to your best abilities and use that as an inspiration and a framework to aspire to. Then you know if you are progressing or stagnating. 

But you are also right that this is a life-long game. I like to review the "me-sheet" about once a year and just check how I'm doing. Kinda like checking a night sky when travelling at night. You are not getting 100% accurate info but if you know how to read it, it can give you a fairly good idea if you're at least roughly heading the right way 

One important lesson I only learned later on was that LP is not just a box-ticking exercise (I approached it that way the first time) - but you are actually truly getting to know yourself. So approach each question as archeologist who just stumbled upon the remains of an ancient civilisation and is slowly uncovering bits and pieces, one day at a time. He's not there to brush soil for 8 hrs and go home - for him, he is making history, he is changing the way we perceive our place in the world. That's what you are doing  - you're becoming aware of who you are on a deeper level. And if it mens taking 6 hours to complete an exercise, it will be worth it when you get to the practical part.