As the newly elected President of AHP, I feel very honored to become part of an ongoing, transformational, creative, and inspiring history. 

As I mentioned in my recent introductory letter to you after being voted AHP’s new President this summer, since its founding the Association for Humanistic Psychology (AHP) has been engaged in an historic, “transformational undertaking”—to actualize “a bold new affirmative approach in psychology and life” and “to explore the edges of what is known, looking for new and workable methods to facilitate our evolution as individuals and as a society.”  Humanistic Psychology and AHP represented a shift in Consciousness, away from a primary focus on “what’s wrong with us as human beings” to a primary focus on “how and in what ways we can become our optimal selves as human beings.”  Over time, the primary focus of Humanistic Psychology and the various educational activities of AHP, and its strategic partners, helped to co-create a “climate of possibilities” for individuals, groups (e.g., racial, cultural, social) and kindred organizations to explore numerous paths for becoming more of “who we are” as human beings. 

One of those paths is what I call the Path of the Bridger.  It is a path that nurtures relational harmony and personal and collective growth through ”being authentic” in relating to and with one another as human beings.  It is also a path that looks for creative ways to bring people together for growth-filled, collaborative enterprises.  Additionally, it is a path that is fueled by what I call Archetypal Energies.  As I’ve mentioned in other writings, I use easily recognized terms to evoke a common sense of these Archetypal Energies (e.g., Love; Acceptance; Inclusion; Harmony).  I have described Archetypal Energies as Higher Vibrational Energies that have their own transcendent value, purpose, quality, and “voice” unique to the individual and that operate deep within our psyches, at both individual and collective levels.  We tend to experience them as “creative urges” to move us toward our highest good or optimal realities. The Path of the Bridger, in my view, is one of many paths that AHP has “mirrored” nationally and internationally over the years, “planting humanistic seeds” for a “New Reality” of human togetherness and the evolution of Consciousness.  In a seemingly tumultuous world with many divisive voices, where fear and strife seem more prevalent than Love, Acceptance, Inclusion, and Harmony, it is important to have national and international entities, seeding the psychology of the times with healing ideas and “bridging approaches” that bring human beings together, individually and collectively.  AHP, therefore, is well positioned to enhance its vital role as a strong national and international organization that nourishes and promotes the Path of the Bridger.

The Path of the Bridger invites each person to allow the Authentic Self to emerge through personal, one-on-one and public, collective relationships.  In a forthcoming book, Evolving the Human Race Game: A Spiritual and Soul-Centered Perspective, I discuss the Path of the Bridger in some detail.  Here, I want to briefly highlight several kinds of Bridger roles.  I have adapted their descriptions to illustrate how they might serve as a framework for further enhancing AHP’s role in co-creating a “New Reality” for human togetherness and the evolution of consciousness.  Four generic kinds of Bridger roles are: (1) the role of Relationship Builder/Harmonizer; (2) the role of Transformer/Catalyst; (3) the role of Illuminator/Teacher; and (4) the role of Spiritual Integrator/Healer. 

In the Table is an adapted summary of what these Bridger roles might entail for AHP.  I share this adapted summary as an “enhanced possible vision” for AHP.  To a large extent, AHP already reflects many of these roles for many people.  So, I am simply suggesting an enhanced and invigorated focus.

Generic Bridger Roles		How AHP Affirms The Authentic Self And Can Further Enhance Bridger Roles
Relationship Builder/Harmonizer		AHP would enhance its activities in seeking to stimulate Energies for life and success, with discernment and without judgment, "modeling" relationship building. AHP would enhance its activities in seeking to awaken a greater sense of creativity and beauty. AHP would further encourage human beings to awaken their Higher Mental faculties for their practical work in the world as they "act out" harmoniously with one another in their unique personal, societal, and global life space.
Transformer/Catalyst		AHP would further support humanistic, creative, transformative, and synergistic methods, approaches, therapies, practices, and strategies that help to guard against psychic imbalances or dangers, and would invite patience and balance for transformative work in the world, individually and collectively. AHP would further support humanistic, creative, transformative, and synergistic methods, approaches, therapies, practices, and strategies that seek to assist individuals in ridding their personalities of self-limiting beliefs and growth-limiting patterns of behavior. AHP would further serve as a "mirror" or "catalyst" for kindred spirits, individually and collectively, on similar paths of growth.
Illuminator/Teacher		AHP would mirror understanding, hope, illumination, peace, and, love. AHP would further stimulate and encourage humanistic practitioners and kindred spirits to tap into, express, and mirror for others intuitive teachings, spiritual duties, and the sacred aspects of the world. AHP would further stimulate individual personalities to awaken to a greater understanding of "dreams" and the role of creative imagination.
Spiritual Integrator/Healer		AHP would further support those, synergistically oriented, who work with authenticity to integrate Nature, Spirit, and Energy. AHP would acknowledge that there may be those, synergistically oriented, who skillfully use mind-body-spirit alchemy and vision to awaken their own personality, as well as the personalities of others. AHP would consciously and strategically collaborate with others to co-create options for physical and emotional healings and to co-create opportunities, arenas, circumstances, and events in building Soul- centered bridges of harmony.

In resonating with the role of Relationship Builder/Harmonizer, AHP would increasingly stimulate people to relate to one another as their Authentic Selves, encouraging them to radiate various kinds of Energy, individually and collectively, that support and move them toward a focus on life and success, with discernment and without judgment.  The Authentic Self also seeks to awaken a sense of creativity and beauty.  In turn, this awakening stimulates Higher Mental faculties for practical work in the world as people “act out” harmoniously with one another in their personal, societal, and global life spaces.

In resonating with the role of Transformer/Catalyst, AHP would increasingly support various humanistic and transformative approaches that guard against psychic imbalances or dangers and would invite patience and balance for various catalytic work in the world for human togetherness, the evolution of Consciousness, and harmonious states of Being with others.  In this context, AHP would be a catalyst for minimizing the effects of and/or getting rid of the effects of self-limiting beliefs and growth-limiting patterns of behavior.  AHP would also encourage people to embrace newer, more growth-filled beliefs and patterns of behavior, serving as a “mirror” or “catalyst” for kindred spirits on similar paths of growth.

In resonating with the role of Illuminator/Teacher, AHP would increasingly mirror hope, illumination, and love.  In this role, AHP would encourage kindred spirits to tap into, express, and mirror for others intuitive teachings, Spiritual duties, and the sacred aspects of the world as they awaken to a greater understanding of their “dreams” and the role of their creative imagination.

In resonating with the role of Spiritual Integrator/Healer, AHP would increasingly support those who authentically work with Nature, Spirit and Energy in an integrative manner.  In this role, AHP may acknowledge that there are those who authentically and creatively use alchemy and vision to awaken personalities.  In this context, AHP would consciously and strategically collaborate with others to co-create options for physical and emotional healings and to co-create opportunities, arenas, circumstances, and events in building Bridges of Harmony.  In this role, AHP may also naturally and effortlessly blend two or more of the other generic roles.

AHP can be viewed, therefore, as “a Humanistic Hub for kindred spirits,” who play vital Bridger roles in various arenas for our evolution as individuals and as a society.  My view, then, is that AHP can broaden its current affirmative impact in psychology and life by inviting, inspiring, and attracting various kinds of creative enterprises, both nationally and internationally, which nurture the Path of the Bridger.  Examples might include finding more creative ways to reach out and to relate to various ethnic associations of psychology, and finding more ways to creatively link and collaborate with other synergistic organizations, nationally and internationally, without fear.  AHP, as do other organized, synergistic entities, has its own unique mission and purpose.  Historically, AHP gave “birth” to the idea of maximizing our Human Potential, mirroring the Path of the Bridger.  A fundamental uniqueness of AHP, therefore, is that it is literally and symbolically “The Original and Ongoing Home” for kindred spirits who are exploring “optimal possibilities” for human togetherness and the evolution of Consciousness.  In nurturing and promoting the Path of the Bridger, AHP would be simply re-claiming and re-affirming what is so.  The practical outcome is that AHP would further enhance the vital role it currently plays in co-creating a “New Reality” for human togetherness and the evolution of consciousness, “harvesting humanistic seeds” through various outreach activities, educational events and projects, publications, strategic partnerships, and a global Web presence.