Radical Noticing

How do we see the world as sacred again?
By radical noticing.
Looking for awe in all of life.

~ Lucy Jones posted on Gratefulness.org July 12, 2023

Yesterday riding my bike I was inundated by awareness of the propensity to criticism. John’s clothes, the way someone says something, the decadent use of disposable bottles of water, the literal interpretation of the Bible, the killing of native grasses and planting of invasive species…. the list is endless.

I long to see the world as sacred again.

The world does not need to change for that to happen, but my consciousness does.

The past few weeks I have been Zoom hosting a gathering of beings present with our meditation teacher, Barbara Brodsky. She is navigating a serious infection which got into the bone in her toe. After months of not being able to bear weight, and 9 weeks on antibiotics, she is in the wait-and-see if the infection is gone mode. Expressing that she was feeling some fear around all of this, the gathering of those willing to be with her was born.

Barbara has spoken of our intention as “one foot for all” and “one heart for all.”

Barbara’s closing comments Sunday, July 9, 2023:

As I was talking with Aaron earlier this week and I was still meditating with the fear and concern about a possible amputation, he said is there any need to explore that reality of an amputation.

I said no, but it could happen so I have to be prepared.

He said being prepared doesn’t mean looking at the possible amputation. It means just watching fear as it comes up and knowing how to relate to that fear with love, but if you go into practicing having equanimity with a possible amputation, in some ways you are bringing energy to inviting the amputation. If instead, you simply practice loving kindness toward anything, even the mosquito bite, the thunder, whatever has disturbed your environment, just practicing love and continue to envision the perfectly healed foot.

Last week a friend shared a body of work titled “How to Turn Your Client’s Negative Emotions into Positive Growth,” presented by Charles M. Jones. While it was not totally new information, I did have a very strong insight about the fear around managing John’s medical issues. Charles contrasts what he calls the “circumstantial view” with the “effectiveness view” of difficult emotions. The emotion we were working with was frustration. I was identifying the frustration around most of John’s complaints being the side-effects of medications: low energy, little stamina, lethargy.

Following his process, I gained the insight that hidden beneath the surface frustration with all the medications was the concern of loss of financial independence if John would become disabled and need long-term care!

From my journal this morning:

V: Being prepared is fueled by fear. Notice now the thought about losing one’s money because of long-term care. Find that sweet spot of being guided in love verses being driven by fear.

While we were in the meditation with Barbara on Sunday I kept seeing the image of an icicle. I saw aspects including the conditions which led to the formation, and both the beauty and the possible destruction. Later I read that the symbolic meaning of icicle is TEMPORARY DIFFICULTIES.

As I visited with a friend recently we spoke of our longing to see the world as sacred. We have both navigated so much…. we share a legacy of shame.

On the back cover of the book by Jenna Blum, one short sentence speaks volumes: “Those Who Save Us is a profound exploration of what we endure to survive and the legacy of shame.”

Very near the end of the book the main character, Trudy (a German), is stunned that a man she has recently found such happiness and bliss with, Ranier (a Jew), is leaving. She begs him to tell her why and suggests reason after reason which in her own mind it might be. Finally, he speaks the saddest words in the world, “I do not deserve to have this. I am not meant to be this happy.”

Trudy knew she could not argue with him because she knew that feeling all too well.

Whoa….

Looking again at Ken Wilber’s 3-2-1 process, I wonder if that is the key to our seeing the world as sacred. Maybe this is what allows us to see that it is all sacred. It already IS sacred. Perhaps we must do the shadow work and bring it all into the heart.

These steps are summarized as FACE-TALK-BE and here’s how the
technique is explained in Wilber’s little instruction book, The Integral
Vision: (See: 3-2-1 Process for the Shadow pdf)

1. First thing in the morning (before getting out of bed), review your
dreams and find someone who showed up with an emotional charge,
positive or negative.
2. FACE that person, holding them in mind.
3. Then TALK to that person, or simply resonate with them.
4. Finally BE that person by taking their perspective. For the sake of this
exercise there is no need to write anything out—you can go through
the whole process right in your mind.
5. Before going to bed, choose a person who either disturbed or
attracted you during the day. FACE them, TALK to them, and then BE
them.

This technique can be used not only with people who bring up an emotional
charge, but also with situations and memories that create a disturbance.

The same six letters make up both words.
S C A R E D
S A C R E D

Whoa….

This is the format of our time together with Barbara Brodsky on these Sunday noon gatherings: “We express our gratitude for the opportunity to come together as a group. We hold this highest intention not only for ourselves, but for the benefit of all. May all be blessed. May all be free from suffering. May all be healthy. May all be happy. May all feel joy. May all beings realize their intrinsic perfection and find perfect peace. Namaste'”

I think I will add “May all see the world as sacred.”