Day 8

The life of contemplation is, then,
not simply a life of human technique and discipline;
it is the life of the Holy Spirit in our inmost souls.

Contemplation is the work of love,
and the contemplative proves his [sic] love
by leaving all things,
even the most spiritual things, for God
in nothingness, detachment, and "night". 
But the deciding factor in contemplation is the free and unpredictable action of God.

(From The Inner Experience by Thomas Merton)

A suggestion for your prayer and meditation:

When you sit in prayer or meditation begin by imagining the Holy Spirit flowing through you.  You control nothing of the Spirit's movements.  You do not cause the Spirit to be present.  You are simply providing a conduit. If it helps, picture the Spirit radiating outward from your heart and through the palms of your hands; outward to a world in need of love and grace.
Pastor Patty Fox 40 days with 40 Christian mystics

It can be so easy to forget our interconnectedness, to not realise we are all filled with the same sustaining spirit and overlook our worth as different, (equally valued) parts of the body of Christ; each vital, each important.
What's even worse is when we don't recognise that in other.
Even though we are different we are all one body.
Even when we profoundly disagree we are all one body.
Even if we feel we hate each other we are all one body.
Fostering our sense of connectedness may be a way to move away from the isolating individualism which permeates our culture and move towards a more relational, community-focused life.