Reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from A NEW WAY TO BE HUMAN: 7 SPIRITUAL PATHWAYS TO BECOMING FULLY ALIVE © 2012 Robert V. Taylor. Published by New Page Books a division of Career Press, Pompton Plains, NJ. 800-227-3371. All rights reserved.

There is a new way to be human. There has to be, because our lives are at stake.

In the old way of being human, the global economy, global conflicts and the seismic shifts of social media and technology result in uncertainty, anxiety and apprehension about the unknown. The old way accepts the cynicism of the world with a resigned, bystander-victim mentality about life. The old way of being is built on compromises, resulting in choices that compartmentalize your life and keep you from being authentically you. In the old way, spirituality soothes your yearnings but keeps you sedated on a stunted journey that ignores much of what life has to offer. Your life is deeply affected by the old way. 

And yet, you have a choice. 

Your unique humanity is part of the spiritual fabric of the entire human story. In fact, the Holy yearns for you to be 100% alive and profoundly authentic—because without your full participation, those who need you most will miss out on what only you can give. 

What if you quit accepting life as it is, and stop settling for so little? What if the world really can change? And what if that change begins with you?

As you step beyond the enclosures of your life, you will see the hairpin curves that life throws your way as opportunities to go deeper into who you are and to experience your journey as proactive engagement with the Holy and the world.  In the process, you will find that all of life is bundled and mixed together. Your appreciation of your belovedness and your resulting delight in life is not a personal treasure for you alone, but a gift in transforming and polishing the world. In your oneness with others you will experience a new resonance in being human. The arc of your story – of all that has made you unique – will reveal spiritual truths about the Holy in your life, egging you on to discover how your stories connect to the stories of those you might least expect. 

You can experience this new way of being human by your willingness to do the work that transformation offers.  The old way of clutching at life and accepting a compromised life will give way to a life marked by vibrancy, gratitude and authenticity about who you are. You will discover a new tenderness toward yourself, resulting in a renewed way of engaging with others and the world.

So what will you choose? 

Are you ready to join an unfolding journey to an integrated life grounded in compassion, love and mercy? Will you let go of tinkering around the edges of your life and enter into a new consciousness of your relationship with yourself, those you love, the Holy, and the Universe.

The choice is yours. This prayer is mine: that the journey that brought you thus far—and the one that lies ahead—will be revealed as sacred ground, and that no matter where you start, you will finish well. 

 A NEW WAY TO BE HUMAN: 7 SPIRITUAL PATHWAYS TO BECOMING FULLY ALIVE