A Simple Life Enables Complicated Work

We become who we practice being

A few months ago, I was on a walk with a good friend and mentor at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. We caught up for a while, enjoying the brisk morning, before planting our feet near a fountain where I asked him what enabled him to do his work at such a high level.

A field trip of cheerful children marched by, and he smiled at each one of them, then looked at the ground before replying, “The practices. For me, it’s all about coming back to the simple practices.”

I inquired further about his practices and he shared the importance of his morning meditation, returning to his breath throughout the day, visualizing what he intended for certain situations, fully being with whoever he was with, eating well, and listening to his body.

The practices.

He’s fond of saying, “We become who we practice being,” which is a phrase I speak silently to myself more than any other.

I’m at my best when I can remember it’s the small and simple decisions I make minute-by-minute that add up to the person I am becoming.

During this season of slowness there’s been a chance to reflect on the practices which make up my life and time to understand which behaviors, mindsets and relational…