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

Occasionally on special feast days, we’d visit the Carmelite nuns. These nuns were cloistered, which means they never left the convent, except for the occasional doctor visit. They didn’t travel home to see their families or even go to the store. 

Part of the spirituality of cloistered monks and nuns is to leave the world behind to become immersed in the stillness and presence of God in a quiet, hidden monastery. 

This is not an escape but rather a journey into the depths of spiritual realities in order to be transformed and thereby more powerfully offer prayer and sacrifice for the rest of the world. 

Although the Carmelite nuns did not generally allow visitors, they would sometimes allow special exceptions to let the Carmelite brothers visit them. These were some of my favorite days. The nuns felt like genuine sisters to me. They radiated a vibrant kindness and deep spiritual presence. At the same time, they were usually tremendously down to earth and casual, which made the monastery feel like home, despite its starkness.

During one of these visits to the nuns in northern California, I vividly remember feeling a little disoriented from the drive and fullness of the day as I walked into the monastery during the early evening. As I took the first few steps into the monastery and oriented myself to the serene surroundings, Sister Teresa, an elderly nun in her 70s from England, came up to me, gently held my hand, looked me intently in the eye and said with a soothing English accent: 

“Brother John, it is so good to see you. How are you?”

I’d met Sister Teresa a couple times before but we had never spoken for more than 10 minutes on any occasion. I’ve probably heard some version of this statement, “It’s good to see you. How are you?” thousands of times in my life. 

But the way Sister Teresa said this expression and looked not just at me, but seemed to gaze into the depths of my very being, moved me to such emotion that tears spontaneously erupted from my eyes like beads of sweat on the brow of a runner in the August sun. 

Through this simple question and the way she carefully and lovingly held my hand, I knew that she genuinely cared about me and wanted my well-being, perhaps even more than her own. 

Most of us ask our friends how they’re doing like we’re reading a checklist. 

Sister Teresa asked it like it was the most important question of her life. It was not just what she said, but how she said it.

Put It Into Practice This Week

Close your eyes and think of one person in your life with whom your relationship could be better. 

Now visualize the next time you see them – what would you say in a way that communicates your care for them like Sister Teresa?

Wishing you abundant peace this week,

John

Monk Mindset Free Workshop THIS THURSDAY!

Learn how to apply monastic practices to your daily life. 

Join us for a FREE Q&A with Monk Mindset founder and former monk, John Cannon.

Learn about ancient Christian monastic traditions, ask questions, and understand how to apply monastic principles to your daily life.

Date: Thursday, January 23

Time: 12pm ET

Register and share your questions below!