Peace to you!

Each week, the Monk Mindset newsletter comes with:

Monk Mindset for Living Well

Monk Mindset 7
Discern Carefully, Commit Confidently: Making Decisions

Reflection on the Monk Mindset and Quote

We make dozens of decisions a day – how to respond to someone, what to eat, how we will spend our time, and much more. 

One of the best aids to making healthy decisions in the “little” things throughout the day actually has nothing to do with a given decision. It starts way before the decision arises.

The monastic tradition, especially the early desert fathers, emphasize that by keeping our heart clean we may be granted true sight. 

John Cassian, who’s credited with bringing monastic spirituality of the Egyptian desert to Gaul (modern day France) in the 4th/5th centuries, explains that true sight is seeing as God would see.

Practically speaking, this means that when we reject thoughts, actions, and behaviors that make us less than who we are – often called “vice” or “sin” in the Christian monastic tradition, and instead embrace what is good - “virtues” such as love, hope, faith, fortitude, prudence, and so on – our sight becomes increasingly cleansed to see. To truly see. 

This clarity of sight enables us to fluidly and naturally see the best decisions in the midst of the day. 

Decisions shift from hard choices to becoming natural, organic responses in harmony with who we really are.

Put It Into Practice This Week

What’s one time in your life you had this clarity of sight in the midst of your day-to-day? 

What was going on in your heart at that time that allowed such clarity?

What is one thing you can shed now to help regain greater sight in the midst of your day? 

Set a specific commitment this week to let this go and observe how your sight is cleansed.

Wishing you abundant peace this week,

John

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