Over the last few months I've been completing a diploma in Pastoral Supervision and Reflective Practice. What I've learned has already been having am impact in my spiritual direction practice with directees, as well as closer to home too. Much of that spills over into the thoughts shared on this space here. Oftentimes I've pondered what we have been considering about going 'beyond productivity' and Steven's announcement for next year is really exciting. It has seemed like the world has accelerated all the more since covid and AI. The little 'accidents' that result in life lived at such speed have taken further root: burnout, sickness, trauma... I'm curious to know how we can encourage others to think outside the box with us, without those people who 'treasure' their uber-productive approach (or feel trapped in its grasp) just responding with an accusation that this is just idealism or a 'nice to have' but its not the real world where 'no pain, no gain' and the hustle is still so central to the western mindset?

This evening my children and I sang in our first concert together. We joined our local choral society in January, and tonight we performed Bach's St Matthew passion with a professional orchestra and soloists. This is a a choir of amateurs that has run for over 60 years, fuelled on enthusiasm and a love of music. Listening tonight, I reflected on the fact that aside from our hard work to produce a good sound worthy of the piece and for the enjoyment of our kind audience, we also all entered deeply into the moment, benefitted from a weekly boost to our mental health through our practice, but also created something beautiful in the service of others, learned some hard lessons through persevering with a challenging work and engaged in some deep inner work through our perseverance with that challenge. It was a truly lovely example of being over doing, while offering something beautiful to others at the same time. I'd really recommend music making to anyone looking for a new hobby, no matter how simple it is. Music brings healing and joy to the human heart!

This bacame a bit long, apologies... This is my first post and my thoughts are just forming on this observation about 'being' rather than 'doing'. In my spiritual direction practice I regularly hear about burn out and stress from too much striving and doing. When I suggest more silence, quiet prayer and reflective practice (I work from a Carmelite perspective), I'm so often struck by how hard that is for my directees. Really hard. My observation is that so often the striving, doing and burn out is rooted in a deep disconnect with our understanding of our own intrinsic worth. If we believe we need to 'earn' approval, love, value and worth - whether that's in the eyes of God or others in our lives, or even ourselves - we will be forever striving. So we become human doings... In my practice I encourage silent prayer and meditation, reflective practice and prauerfully working through wounds (possibly also suggesting therapy alongside) to begin pondering upon our innate value and how loved we are. So often wounds and trauma have broken our ability to even see ourselves clearly. So often we're unaware of how clouded our vision has become. The Carmelite writers John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila have so much to teach on this healing work, becoming our true selves. Teresa only became aware of her own brokenness in her 40s and went on to become one of the most 'successful', formidable, leading women of history. Well, those are my thoughts after reading a few of the comments here. Apologies for the lengthy post!

What is everyone focusing on this month in their monk manual or otherwise?

So glad this community exists! MM user since the Kickstarter campaign. My business is called Spirituality Unboxed and I do spiritual direction and coaching, as well as being an interspiritual rabbi. I often use tabletop roleplaying games similar to Dungeons & Dragons for growth, exploration, and healing. I have a special commitment to my queer, kinky, and non-monogamous folk, not to "save" them, but rather because folks in these communities have often not felt comfortable or safe seeking spiritual care and have been ignored or even harmed by those providing spiritual care.