About twenty years ago or so, I was taken by Howard Gardner's theory of "multiple intelligences." This was a theory that posited that we need to expand how we understand intelligence beyond the 'book smarts' represented by traditional IQ testing, to include natural aptitudes in other aspects of life: relationships, movement, self-understanding, navigating systems, and … Continue reading Integral Basics, Part 3: Life for the Whole Person
There's a famous Indian parable about a group of blind men trying to make sense of an elephant. To one, touching the trunk, it's a snake. To another, touching the ear, it's a fan. To another, holding the leg, it's a tree. To still another, grasping the tail, it's a rope. And to the last … Continue reading Integral Basics, Part 2: Multiple Perspectives
Life is not for the faint of heart. This is true for every single human who has ever lived. But it's perhaps most true for those of us who engage with the spiritual life. As cliché as the metaphor of the "spiritual journey" may be, it remains true: Life is a long and winding road, … Continue reading Integral Basics, Part 1: The Search for What Comes Next
The other day, we looked at how moving away from facades and towards the authentic self represents faithful growth. One of the major facades people are prone to hiding behind is the notion of 'shoulds', doing things simply because we feel we are obligated — by others or by God — to do so. The … Continue reading The Movement away from Shoulds
The other day, I introduced Wilkie Au and Noreen Cannon Au's eight movements of growth, as one framework through which we can explore what authentic spiritual growth looks like. Today, I'd like to look into the first of the eight movements they describe: "the movement away from facades, from a pretended self that we are … Continue reading The Movement away from Facades
Matthew Root 