What does a fuller, higher expression of human life look like?

Beyond religious and cultural differences, we do in fact have quite clear and remarkably congruent ideas about what higher human attainment looks like. Here are some of the descriptors that I hear most often regarding spiritual leaders. He or she:

1. •  Is authentic and has integrity

2. •  Is calm, peaceful, and centered

3. •  Has a clear mission or vocation 

4. •  Is compassionate, caring, kind, and loving 

5. •  Is courageous, dependable, faithful and faith-filled 

6. •  Is forgiving and generous 

7. •  Is a great leader, teacher, and/or mentor 

8. •  Is humble, inspiring, and wise

9. •  Is nonviolent 

10. •  Is open-minded and open-hearted 

11. •  Is persistent, values-driven, and committed to serving others. 

While the words chosen may vary slightly for a given person or group, they tend to be synonyms of the words in this list. What the consistency of the responses tells me is that we already have a general perception of what makes someone worthy of our admiration and possibly our emulation. We recognize a fuller, higher expression of humanity when we see one.

Wigglesworth, Cindy. SQ21: The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence (pp. 5-6). SelectBooks, Inc.. Kindle Edition. 

How many and to what extent do you or people you know exhibit these 11 characteristics?

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