Eight Pathways of Psychospiritual Transformation
By Kevin P. McClone
Sometimes I need some groundedness to keep my feet planted and moving forward on life’s path. Sometimes I need a hand to keep from slipping off that path. This book offers that needed focus on life’s essentials: lasting peace, calm serenity, and true joy. It gives one stepping stones toward transformation and growth, using eight core pathways: following one’s deepest desire, discovering one’s true self, embracing healthy intimacy, integrity, grace, simplicity, solitude, and finally, joy. Each chapter concludes with a set of action steps, that, if applied, can give one the walking sticks needed to continue on the hike.
I really appreciate that this book is not just about doing the inner work of finding equanimity but it shows the connection between the inner work and the outer action. Deep transformation leads to bringing this good to the world in ways such as overcoming violence with peace, working toward unity amidst diversity, and building bridges instead of walls. All things that our world currently needs desperately.
On a more personal level, this book conveyed some needed truths to me about facing life’s difficulties. Listen to these three statements gleaned from the author’s words:
Grace comes through wounding.
Self-acceptance comes through vulnerability.
Connectedness comes through imperfection
Read those summarizations again. Can I accept the wounding, risk the vulnerability, and be okay with the imperfection? That’s not easy for me. Instead of working to avoid adversity, can I work to embrace it, letting it reveal my true nature? How many of us have done that as we’ve faced the challenges of 2020? As I work on knowing, accepting, and living as my true self, “warts and all,” I want to remember McClone’s words, “Embracing imperfection helps us relax into reality.”
This reality is the journey of life that each one of us is walking. We all need help along the way. Perhaps this book can be a map for you as it was for me. And I think I’ll put the following quotes on some billboards along the road as reminders for all of us to keep focused on the goal:
“Joy is living life to the full one day at a time and all that matters is to share that life and love with one another in love and service.” ~Kevin McClone
“Joy is not made to be a crumb.” ~Mary Oliver
“The glory of God is the human person fully alive.” ~Saint Irenaeus
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,Part 255.
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