These are the opening words from the Rule of St. Benedict. I’m not a Catholic, but I owe so much peace and clarity to my training in spiritual direction with the sisters of a nearby monastery. These words continue to remind me, each morning, of possibility.
Especially when I’ve fallen off the wagon filled with my best intentions the night before. It hardly matters what I did, but let’s just say I let myself down when I unconsciously ate half a bag of chips at midnight. In the past this kind of thing has given me enough proof of hopelessness to pull me off the wagon for good, a rebellious child running wildly amok, with no regard for the future.
But I’m deeply committed to a process of profound curiosity that will show me something else than these old abused patterns. This is the time. So I’m remembering St. Benedict and singing Nina Simone this morning in my mind:
“It’s a new day, it’s a new world, it’s a new life, and I’m feelin’ good.”
What brings you a feeling of freshness when you’re caught in an old pattern? How do you refresh your screen and remember? If you don’t know, what little rituals or words remind you of your commitment to what’s truly important to you?
