Are You Fully Alive?

“If a man is to live, he must be all alive, body, soul, mind, heart, spirit.” — Thomas Merton

In our fast-paced, hyper-connected world, it’s easy to mistake movement for meaning. We tick off tasks, chase goals, and scroll endlessly—but are we truly alive?

Thomas Merton’s words invite us to pause and ask: Am I living with my whole being? Not just surviving or functioning, but engaging every part of myself—my body, soul, mind, heart, and spirit.

• Body: Do you treat your body as a sacred vessel, not just a machine? Movement, rest, nourishment—are they intentional or automatic?
• Mind: Are you feeding your intellect with curiosity and reflection, or numbing it with distraction?
• Heart: Do you allow yourself to feel deeply, love freely, and connect authentically?
• Spirit: Is there space in your life for awe, wonder, and something greater than yourself?
• Soul: Are you nurturing your inner life, your sense of purpose, your quiet truths?

To be “all alive” is not a destination—it’s a daily practice. It’s choosing presence over autopilot, depth over surface, wholeness over fragmentation. It’s loving well and being beloved.

So today, ask yourself: Which part of me have I been neglecting? And what would it look like to bring it back to life?

Let’s not settle for half-living. Let’s wake up to the fullness of who we are. “Awake sleeper, rise from the dead and let Christ shine on you,” Ephesians 5:14.