In my day job, I work with hundreds of founders to help them grow in business and life. One of the most important factors of growth – at work and in the heart – is great mentorship. 

This is especially true in one’s spiritual journey. We have such a limited and incomplete view of ourselves. We need others with more experience to reflect us to ourselves and guide us. 

I’ve often chased success, achievement, and pleasure in my life. These were my go-to means for filling the void within. 

But this never really satisfied me. At some point, I realized I would never be the smartest or the best. It was a game I could win for a while but ultimately always lost.

Thomas Aquinas, one the greatest philosophers and theologians of all time suggests here that love is fundamentally rooted in the will. OK, what does this mean?

As a Carmelite nun in the 1500s, St. Teresa of Avila lived an extremely disciplined and penitential life. But she also recognized there was a time for “partridge” – a feasting delicacy of the time. 

Hard work, especially work with one's body and hands is core to monastic life. Working with diligence, focus, and attention to excellence helps our soul to flourish. The motto of the Benedictines is...

St. Teresa of Avila founded convents of cloistered contemplative nuns. However, she knew that to be fully alive as humans the sisters needed intentional time in community together – not just in quiet prayer. So…

Macarius, one of the pillars of early Christian monasticism was once approached by a younger monk who sought his guidance: "Abba, how should I pray?" Abba Macarius took the young monk to a well in the desert, drew some water and…

Community and family life is hard. I don’t care who you are.

One time in the monastery, I was particularly struggling with one brother for…

Our external environment – rooms, offices, outdoor spaces – impacts how we feel, our spiritual awareness, and how we act. A cluttered physical environment can create chaos internally. Similarly, clutter in…

From the time I entered the monastery, questions and doubts about my call to the monastery often surfaced in my mind like wood down a river. How could I be patient with these random monks I never chose to live with?

During a layover while returning from a 30-day silent retreat in a hermitage nestled in the Colorado mountains, I stopped and stood still as hundreds of people swirled around me, rushing to…

Community and family life is hard. I don’t care who you are.

One time in the monastery, I was particularly struggling with one brother for months. There always seemed to be…