Respecting the Wisdom of an Integrated Life

There are some things in life that we cannot avoid; being human is one of them.  We are human beings. As such, we are vulnerable to human faults, outbursts of anger, suffering, and bad behaviors. We get physical illnesses and experience psychological distress.  We cannot always transcend these human vulnerabilities by becoming spiritual seekers.  To diminish the importance of our humanness defies the principles of an integrated life.  To accomplish this requires us to embrace all of what it means to be human so that we may naturally become more spiritual beings.

 There is wisdom to living an integrated life. The key is living in it and being connected to all of it. Though it is tempting to cast out some of the “parts” we don’t like or don’t want to feel, to do slows and sometimes defeats the process of becoming a wholly balanced spiritual human being. There are no shortcuts on the path to grace.

The alternative to living an integrated life is to compartmentalize different aspects of who we are, what we feel, what we do, and how we handle multiple dimensions of our lives. When life is viewed in separate segments with different sets of values for relationships, work, behavior, and health, nothing is truly integrated.  This leads to a turbulent life that operates without integrity and lacks harmony. As long as the “parts” are functioning, life can be maintained. When something goes wrong, the whole falls apart.

To be integrated is to be in touch with thoughts and feelings and behaviors and have an awareness of what is occurring in mind, body, and spirit. Integrated beings respect that there is an intuitive wisdom within them that has a language all its own. Once communication is established, it is possible to recognize when something is off balance. The next step is to attend to it, resisting the temptation to turn away from facing the truth about what might be wrong.

Living an integrated life requires daily practice. It helps to be mindful of the following:

1)      Humans are always imperfect

2)      Spiritual perfection is always arriving

3)      Ignorance is not bliss

4)      Worrying about something that could happen results in feeling as though it already happened

5)      Life is always bigger than any single problem

6)      Deny nothing about yourself or a full life will be denied

7)      Appreciate every little thing about being human

8)      Connect to the wisdom of your mind and body

9)      Appreciate the interconnection of all things

As human beings, it is important to look inward to understand our emotional, psychological, and physical needs. As spiritual beings, it is important to look upward to strengthen our faith and cultivate hope. To be whole is to embrace the wonder of it all.