Hi y’all,
As a nun, I remember writing in my journal every morning to pray and set my intention for the day.
I would sit quietly in a rocking chair in my room and face the window to observe a piece of my world as I prayed, either the city or nature, depending on where I lived. After my morning ritual, I would go out and live the day as fully as possible.
Around dinner, the sisters would gather around the table and check in about our day. How was your day? Where did you find God? Where did you see moments of grace? I loved these questions and conversations with my sisters.
As a nun, I felt like a spiritual detective. My mission was to go out every day with my intention in hand and heart and seek the holy, looking for traces of the sacred in daily life.
Being a nun meant being intentional about how you lived your day.
Today, most people rush through life on autopilot.
I spent eight years living as a nun and discovered that tiny moments of mindfulness can transform your understanding of yourself. Without self-awareness, you'll keep repeating patterns that don't serve you.
These practices take seconds but reveal volumes about your inner world.
Start with one habit. The goal isn't perfection. It's catching glimpses of your true intentions.
Habit #1. Pause Before You React
When someone cuts you off in traffic, take three breaths before responding. This brief pause helped me notice that my anger usually stemmed from feeling disrespected, not the actual incident. Next time you feel triggered, count to three and ask yourself: "What's bothering me right now?"
Habit #2. Name Your Emotions Out Loud
As a nun, I practiced labeling my feelings: "Anxiety about tomorrow's ceremony. Excitement about seeing my family." Speaking emotions aloud makes them concrete and manageable. Try this while driving or washing dishes—simple moments work best.
Habit #3. Do One Thing With Full Attention
Pick a daily task like brewing tea. Notice the steam rising, the cup's warmth, and the first sip. My novice director called this a "beginner's mind" - curious about routine moments. When your mind wanders (it will), gently return to the sensations. This practice builds the muscle of noticing your thoughts without getting lost in them.
That's it.
Here’s what we covered today on practicing micro-mindful intentions:
Pause before you react.
Name your emotions aloud.
Do one thing with your full attention.
Eckhart Tolle, the spiritual teacher and author of The Power of Now, reminds us that the present moment is the most precious thing.
The more you are focused on time - past and future - the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is. ~ Eckhart Tolle
Now is where your intentions and actions meet in the moment.
Mindfulness begins with tiny steps toward being present. You can start micro-mindfulness right now without adding one more thing to your calendar. Join my newsletter, and I will share simple micro-mindfulness tips every week that you can start today.
In my book Burn Without Burning Out: 7 Micro-Mindfulness Habits for Clear Thinking, Decisive Action, and Recovery from Burnout, I share other skills I learned as a nun. Grab your copy today.
Thanks for listening. I appreciate you being part of the journey.
Have a mindful week, and we’ll see you next time.
Denise
I'm a former nun who, at midlife, pivoted to corporate life with zero business experience and became an award-winning program manager. I want to help you find stillness in the ball pit bouncy house of life.
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