Peace to you!

Each week, the Monk Mindset newsletter comes with:

Monk Mindset for Living Well

Monk Mindset 2
Commit to Healthy Community: Community and Family

Reflection on the Monk Mindset and Quote

In one particularly grueling job I had years ago where we often worked to 10pm each night, I remember one more junior person would make rounds after she finished her work at 9pm – or later and ask “I’m wrapping up so what can I help you with?” 

This floored me – she should be going home but she wanted to help others to get home too. Through this, maybe she worked a few extra hours but she also left a lifelong mark on my understanding of how to build up others at work. I think that was a good investment of her time.

In 16th-century Italy, St. Angela Merici lived out this generosity in her own way, realizing a profound truth that would transform the lives of those she met: genuine community isn't just pleasant, it's essential for human flourishing. Her insight was simple yet powerful: the bonds between people are sacred pathways to mutual growth, encouragement, and doing good.

Although she didn’t belong to a convent, Angela lived out monastic ideals within everyday life, showing that deep spiritual practices could flourish right where people were—in their homes, neighborhoods, and daily routines. 

When she saw that some of the girls in her hometown lacked education, she gathered together women and led them to become educators in orphanages and schools for women. 

In this way she became a pioneer in women's education in the 1500s. But instead of just the function of teaching or just the function of caring for orphans, this community of women was distinct because it was first and foremost a community. 

Daily they prayed together, built relationships, and encouraged one another. This foundation enabled them to have something deeper than a “profession” or “work opportunity”. The service and instruction they gave in the schools and orphanages instead flowed from who they were and the culture of the community they invested in.

There is great insight for us today in this model. 

We have a tendency to compartmentalize work, spiritual activities, and personal relationships – and to some extent this is actually good. We need some boundaries and separation in these areas of life. Yet, we also are empowered to invest in building healthy relationships in each sphere of our life. 

At work, we have the opportunity to build community through such things as inviting colleagues to a spiritual activity or to organize a post-work happy hour – or just to be intentional about how we treat others in the nitty gritty office life. The same for our family relationships and our acquaintances. 

Whether we’re building a game-changing education model or just helping a colleague at 9pm, these bonds of kindness in community are what bring true meaning and culture to our work.

Put It Into Practice This Week

Here are a few prompts for building up healthy community that across modes of our lives:

• Look for someone who needs encouragement or seems isolated. Find one tiny way to build them up - a smile, helping with a project, buying them lunch.

• Be the one who remembers important moments for those around you.

• When you make a commitment to someone and are tempted to change the plan or flake out, stick with it and show up well, regardless of how you feel about it.

Gregorian Chant for Work

Check out Monk Mindset’s latest soothing Gregorian Chant for Work track!

Wishing you abundant peace this week,

John

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