Brian Allain

a silent retreat

From “What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman” by Lerita Coleman Brown In addition, many people today actively avoid silence to the point of leaving electronic devices or the television on all day and night. Simply being alone without a smartphone, tablet, or computer feels, to them, like a severe penalty.

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A Lifelong Task

From “Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life” by Henri Nouwen with Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird Discernment is not about judging other people’s motives. It’s about distinguishing good guidance from harmful messages, and the Holy Spirit from evil spirits. This essential sorting, known as discernment of spirits, is intended for our protection

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an either-or?

From “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck, PhD As children, we were given a choice between the talented but erratic hare and the plodding but steady tortoise. The lesson was supposed to be that slow and steady wins the race. But, really, did any of us ever want to be the

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The odds of finding like-minded people are much lower with a smaller pool of individuals

From “Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation” by Steven Johnson Lifestyles or interests that deviate from the mainstream need critical mass to survive; they atrophy in smaller communities not because those communities are more repressive, but rather because the odds of finding like-minded people are much lower with a smaller pool

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