Many of us carry around stereotypical pictures of contemplative types-people who seem so unlike us that there is no way we could ever be contemplatives. But what if the word contemplative doesn't just name a narrowly defined kind of prayer but also an approach to all prayer? And what if the same word doesn't denote a specific way of life-extreme, alone, with lots of somber sitting- but can describe any life that seeks to be more open, available, and responsive to God? In other words, most contemplatives are everyday contemplatives-people living common, ordinary lives, responding to a call of divine love from God who speaks in the depths of their being. This book is an invitation to approach prayer and life differently. It explores a contemplative approach you can take to all spiritual practices-indeed, to life itself. Each chapter explores a particular characteristic of contemplative living: longing, attention, patience, playfulness, vulnerability, nonjudgment, and freedom. Everyday Contemplative includes "Consider This" questions and "Try This" suggestions in the margins, and there are ideas for the spiritual exercises of sacred reading, practicing awareness, and journaling at the end of each chapter. Book jacket.