Stephen McKenzie has many years of experience in researching, teaching, writing, and publishing in the fields of psychology, philosophy, and mindfulness. In this thought-provoking work, McKenzie contends that we are now at a point in spiritual development where we need to connect with ourselves and those around us in a deeper and richer way. He quotes an interview with Jon Kabat Zinn in which the father of the contemporary mindfulness movement states that heartfulness is closely linked to this practice of living in the present moment.
McKenzie defines heartfulness as "our missing link between self-help and self-discovery." He finds examples of this quality in Gautama the Buddha, Mary Magdalene, Marcus Aurelius, Nelson Mandela, and Oprah Winfrey. Then he spells out the nine paths to heartfulness with wonderful materials on definition, opposites and allies, vital ingredients, benefits, the virtue in action, and its bottom line.
The nine paths are kindness, adversity, humour, contentment, love, courage, knowledge, hope, and creativity. We were especially impressed with McKenzie's In Action examples (spiritual practices), Take-Home Tips, and Examples of each path.
