@ Ned – That same as what happens when we don’t live up to any value, we feel a certain sense of unease. And just because most people don’t do something doesn’t imho mean it’s not worth striving for. Not that I think you mean that, but it kind of reads that way to me.

My job has reached proportions of stress never previously seen before. It is being done intentionally. The owners hope that people will quit or get fired so they don’t have to pay unemployment. Last night, I just snapped. I was angry, no two ways about it.

I would certainly like to handle all situations with perfect peace and calm. But I don’t and no one else does either. And I have a tendency (like most people also) to beat myself up when I lose my cool. That just extends my lack of peace.

A friend of mine reminded me that we decide what things mean. We are “meaning makers”. What I think something means determines it’s value to me. It also determines my emotional state. So if we are going for a “meta-value”, I would say it would be the power to create meaning.

Neds last blog post..Warrior of the Light

Enlightenment is never gained by a human being. The garb of a human being is simply worn by the soul atman within to work out its karma… regain its original prime pristine pure form! The moment human beings reached the stage of enlightenment… the need for the soul atman to manifest a body further ceases to exist.

The soul atman finally liberates itself from the cycle of birth and death forever! Enlightenment is also not a state of mind. It is a permanent state of life for our soul atman within. Enlightenment is not that easily gained. In the last about 150 years… only sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana gained enlightenment amongst 6500 million people existing on Mother Earth.

For my base value I nominate life/creativity/joy. In some ways this is not rationally defensibe (we reason on the basis of our values in some ways). Put another way: Why do I think life is (usually) preferable to death? Because I’m not an idiot. Seeing what is is quite different to arguing about it or on this basis (though logic and argument are very important I think – part of our social nature as human beings).

Acceptance of myself (even the parts that I dislike and fight amongst themselves) is the way to change in my experience.

Evans last blog post..One Hundred Years – and counting

Sharon Wilsons last blog post..Have You Heard About This Incredible Message From the Healing Codes?

@ Cath – LMAO – There’s an idea, banging the truth up on YouTube. Of course Buddhists believe the truth cannot be seen or described so that makes it a tad tricky if you believe that theory ;-)

@ Hilary – Wow, I’m not sure it’s really that easy. It’s the thing that I find is absent with most people I know, maybe all the people I know. It’s also something that people strive all their life to achieve. (insert Zen Master story of your choice here).

BTW, I really like this on your site:

“The only thing I know is real is that I Am. I Know I Am. I think You probably Are too, but that may be a moot point.”

Tim, I think I agree with you about peace being a fundamental, possibly universal, value, but it answers the how and perhaps tells us nothing about the what and the why. You’ve got me thinking, but I’m inclined to think there probably is a level at which there are universal answers to the other two as well.

Hilarys last blog post..Circumventing the economic crisis

I’ve been reading about it and it seems like it’s all different things to different people.

Since your God post, I’ve read half the new testament and to be honest – my brain is more frazzled than it was before. There’s the God stuff, then all this 2012 business, some people are saying we can live forever and others say there’s nothing but darkness after our physical death.

And it would be nice if someone could just video the truth and bang it on YouTube then we wouldn’t have to wonder anymore.

I like your idea of permanent peace but I’m betting it’s not that easy to achieve.

Cath Lawsons last blog post..Dear Blogger – Are You Trying To Sell To The Faithless?

The day we evaluated my values was a big turning point in my quest for personal enlightenment. I had never really taken the time to balance what would bring me peace, vs. what I spent my time doing, or planning to do.

It makes the decision making paradigm much easier when you have a value matrix to compare your options. It changed the way I am doing business. Good stuff.

Get back to the God topic. I havent been able to get to the Coliseum for any good carnage lately. Easier to get that here!!

There’s abug in the new Wordpress software that conflicts with Google analytics. I’m kinda on the case but at least commentluv is working again!

@ Evelyn – I agree about contentedness, but I don’t think that rules out happiness or sadness. Thich Nhat Hanh talks a lot about the sadness he felt when his mother died.

@ Derek – LOL, yeh it did kind of take on a life of its own! You’re right of course, all this is subjective, but it’s fun too.

@ Avani – I have to disagree (which is way cool because it opens things up). You cannot remain peaceful and worry about the goals you gave up. Ask yourself what your goals will give you. Then ask yourself what that will give you and then that. Keep doing this until you can go no further. Then and only then are you at the real core value. Se if it’s peace? If not it will probably be something similar. As Duffy said maybe ‘Wholeness’ or maybe even ‘Love’ Try it out.

@ Chris – Thanks and then no thanks for putting that image in my head. Don’t make me say anything about the Queen sat reading the paper on the toilet.

@ Tasmin – I agree. I don’t think I can achieve permanent peace of mind, but IF I could, it would be the ultimate meta value, to me at least.