Throughout his life, Dennis Merritt Jones has been on a quest to inspire and lift people to a higher expression of life. His personal vision is to guide people to their purpose, knowing that when they fully awaken to who they are and why they are on the planet, they begin to naturally share their gifts with humankind and, in the process, create enriching lives for themselves and the world around them.

A mindfulness and spirituality teacher, Jones has written two books, The Art of Uncertainty (a Spirituality & Practice Book Award winner) and The Art Of Being. He also sends out free weekly "Mindful Purpose e-Message" from his website www.dennismerrittjones.com and is a regular columnist for The Huffington Post.

We are all works in progress, becoming who we were meant to be. One of the major adventures of life is coming into our own or as Henry David Thoreau put it, "We are constantly invited to be who we are." New people, fresh ideas, changes in the way we do things, and wild possibilities on the horizon offer us redefining moments to go with the flow and reinvent ourselves.

How do we make the most these redefining moments? Jones provides some ways: by asking big questions, by letting silence guide us to our center, and by experimenting with the practice and power of self-inquiry. In one of the most thought-provoking chapters in the book, the author reveals the seven intrinsic qualities of the authentic self:

• wholeness
• reverence
• fearlessness
• integrity
• humility
• equanimity
• love

We like Jones' ending thought: "Living an authentic life is probably the most challenging thing a human being can endeavor to undertake because it is not the way of the world, but it is the way of the heart that connects you to what is real, what is meaningful, and what is eternal."