The Quest – Day 1

Have you ever gone on a scavenger hunt or a treasure hunt? You have a list of things you’re looking for, and it’s up to you to get creative and find them. Let’s pretend that you’re on a treasure hunt. Only it’s not pretend, it’s real.

In the introduction, we talked about that nameless place that many of us are trying to get to, whether we know it or not. The treasures we’re seeking are the values we acquire, and through practice, we create this magical place.

I didn’t start a formal spiritual quest for values because I wanted to. I started looking for and practicing many of my values because I had to. It was a do-or-die situation. I started praying because I was killing myself with alcohol and drugs and I couldn’t stop drinking on my own. I needed help.

I started learning about the value of living one day at a time because I found myself in such painful, overwhelming circumstances that there was no other way to survive.

Most of my values resulted from painful or uncomfortable situations that demanded that I do something different. Sometimes in my quest for another treasure— improving myself, getting a better job, or improving a relationship—I discovered other treasures such as patience, faith, discipline, guidance, surrender, and service. Over time, I learned that these values were more than emergency-care procedures. Living with these values was a good way to live.

On one of my expeditions, I found myself on top of a famous holy mountain in China. I looked around at the people like myself who had forged their way to the top.

Some of them were tourists. They had cameras around their necks. They looked like they were there to see the sights. Any difficulties they encountered on the way to the top were just irritating inconveniences.

Others were more spiritually inclined. They considered each hardship a chance to prove their devotion to spiritual principles. They had humbled themselves by prostrating each step of the way. The trip was a pilgrimage.

Each step was holy and valuable. Whether you call it a quest, a process, a scavenger hunt, a treasure hunt, or a pilgrimage, like Ken Blanchard says, “The only thing that will keep you going is a huge amount of faith and trust in the journey.”

Value: This week we will focus on valuing the pilgrimage and the lessons put before us.

From the book: 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact

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