Find True Stillness

Monk Mindset for Living Well

Monk Mindset 6

Seek Nothing to Find Everything: Detachment

Reflection on the Monk Mindset & Quote

Christian monks throughout the world this week embark on the season of Advent, a period of silent preparation for the coming of Christ into the world at Christmas. 

All of us have seasons in life that are marked more by waiting and anticipation than by action. 

Think of a mother awaiting the birth of her child. Or a couple waiting for their wedding day. A man at the end of life awaiting death. And so on. 

These moments often don’t define our lives but they do punctuate it. These times of waiting exist for a reason – they are crucial periods of preparation for a new phase to come. 

Advent is much the same – it's only a few weeks leading up to Christmas, the “advent of Christ” into the world, but it’s an important period of preparation. 

The desert Fathers, like Abba Poemen quoted here, placed incredible emphasis on silence as a means to encounter peace, a deeper sense of awareness, and even God Himself.

We have so much noise in our lives – from music to media to a restlessness that prevents us from being still. 

And the hidden noise in our hearts sometimes echoes even louder than external noise  -- the attachments, addictions, and things we cling to in order to keep from internal stillness.

As we shed the external layers of noise, we are more empowered to shed the internal cacophony and find true stillness of heart, mind, and body.

Put It Into Practice This Week

Try to imagine a time in your life when you’ve felt very still and at peace internally. Immerse yourself in that sensation and try to recall how clean and lifegiving that can be.

What’s one way you can find greater stillness and silence this week?

Perhaps it’s not listening to music or a podcast during a commute. Or blocking social media apps at night or taking an extra 15 minutes of prayer in the morning. 

Seek to practice this intention this week.

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