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Change the Future by Transforming the Present
True story from a friend...Joseph was in grad school in the US from Vietnam but couldn’t afford to...
Peace to you!
After attending Oxford and Harvard and working in investment banking, I had a spiritual experience that led me to leave the path of success to live in monasteries for over 7 years.
Through this newsletter, I share practical wisdom from my experience in the monastery. I hope it’s fruitful for your journey!
Each week, the Monk Mindset newsletter comes with:
Monk Mindset for Living Well
Monk Mindset 5
Choose Love: Love is Your Purpose
Reflection on the Monk Mindset and Quote
True story from a friend…
Joseph was in grad school in the US from Vietnam but couldn’t afford to finish his degree and on the verge of having to return home. While traveling to a different state, he serendipitously met a woman in her 70s also from Vietnam. After some conversation, they realized they were from the same small village in North Vietnam. The elderly woman asked who his family was. He told her the name of his grandparents. Her eyes got big and tears welled up.
The woman told Joseph that when she was a girl, they endured a famine during which they only had access to one meal a day, at most. During this time of hardship, one couple in the village would occasionally give her a roasted sweet potato.
The nourishment and kindness of this simple potato meant so much to the girl – it helped her believe in the goodness of humanity despite the hardship and suffering she endured.
The woman then asked Joseph, “What are your challenges now?”
He told her that he wanted to stay and complete his studies but needed the other half of tuition – $40,000 over two years. The woman looked him in the eye, and then opened her purse and wrote a check for 100% of the remaining tuition on the spot.
Every day, we have the opportunity to plant tiny seeds of love and kindness in the world. Most of the time, we’ll never know or see the growth or fruit of what we plant.
Joseph’s grandparents’ tiny acts of love in a distant country decades earlier not only helped a girl believe in the goodness of people but it also came back to help their grandson achieve his dreams.
Plant seeds of acts of kindness and love. Trust and believe that they will blossom in time. And be detached from seeing the results.
Put It Into Practice This Week
Think of one person in your life who is hungry for something – love, kindness, or a simple gift. Maybe it’s a family member, neighbor, or someone you recently met.
Close your eyes and take 60 seconds to imagine – what’s one tiny thing you could do that would bring a smile to their face?
Make a note or set an intention to do that act right now.
It’s so hard building prayer and meditation routines into the day.
So I created a mini-course based on my 7+ years in the monastery and coaching hundreds of founders & CEOs to walk step-by-step through how monks and nuns go deep in prayer and meditation.
It also includes very practical guidance for how to implement these approaches in your life. Would be honored for you to check it out!
Wishing you abundant peace this week,
John
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