Many people see Pope Francis to be one of the most flawless, successful priests of all time. Not only has he assumed the rank of pontiff, but his approval rating is one of the highest in history.
Pope Francis would disagree. For starters, Jesuits aren't supposed to strive for positions of authority, but Pope Francis has also confessed that he's made 'mountains' of mistakes. How did Pope Francis become so successful? He learned a life-changing trick that can apply to anyone's life.
The Jesuits believe that the only way to get better, to become a better person, is to learn from your mistakes. This is a universal concept. Many non-religious people agree with this idea. The Jesuits, however, have a prayer for helping their adherents to fix themselves. It's called 'The Examen', and it's one of my favorite prayers. Even non-religious people can 'examine their lives' in the same way that Jesuits do. That's the beauty of this prayer.
The first step of the Examen is to find a quiet place and simply sit. The Examen is a very reflective prayer, one that examines consciousness. An Examen should begin once in a reflective, calm state of mind.
The next step is to identify a moment of gratitude. While this step helps Jesuits see how God was working in their lives, irregardless of religious affiliation, we can all agree that it's important to recount our gratitude.
The third step is to review the day and answer two questions; where was I at my best, and where do I need improvement. This practice is in place in nearly every profession. I went to a writing camp at the University of Iowa this summer, and I found overlaps between the workshop and Jesuit ideals. One might say that Iowa City isn't a very holy place. Sure, it produced Flannery O'Connor, but the keywords 'Iowa confessions' brought me to Twitter accounts filled with stories that didn't live up to standards of Christian morality. But who am I to judge? By the way, the students and faculty at the Iowa Young Writers Studio were amazing people, so don't base your opinion on their program based on drunken college kids. Anyway, the director of the graduate program, Lan Samantha Chang, has repeatedly said that if writer's recognize their strong-points, they can become extraordinary. However, writers need to fix what's not working. This is where the revision process is instrumental. The same is true for the Examen and our daily lives. We should capitalize on our strong points of the day, and try and fix what wasn't working.
The final step is to set a goal for the next day. The Examen is like a machine; we should fix what's not working, and set a goal
Pope Francis would disagree. For starters, Jesuits aren't supposed to strive for positions of authority, but Pope Francis has also confessed that he's made 'mountains' of mistakes. How did Pope Francis become so successful? He learned a life-changing trick that can apply to anyone's life.
The Jesuits believe that the only way to get better, to become a better person, is to learn from your mistakes. This is a universal concept. Many non-religious people agree with this idea. The Jesuits, however, have a prayer for helping their adherents to fix themselves. It's called 'The Examen', and it's one of my favorite prayers. Even non-religious people can 'examine their lives' in the same way that Jesuits do. That's the beauty of this prayer.
The first step of the Examen is to find a quiet place and simply sit. The Examen is a very reflective prayer, one that examines consciousness. An Examen should begin once in a reflective, calm state of mind.
The next step is to identify a moment of gratitude. While this step helps Jesuits see how God was working in their lives, irregardless of religious affiliation, we can all agree that it's important to recount our gratitude.
The third step is to review the day and answer two questions; where was I at my best, and where do I need improvement. This practice is in place in nearly every profession. I went to a writing camp at the University of Iowa this summer, and I found overlaps between the workshop and Jesuit ideals. One might say that Iowa City isn't a very holy place. Sure, it produced Flannery O'Connor, but the keywords 'Iowa confessions' brought me to Twitter accounts filled with stories that didn't live up to standards of Christian morality. But who am I to judge? By the way, the students and faculty at the Iowa Young Writers Studio were amazing people, so don't base your opinion on their program based on drunken college kids. Anyway, the director of the graduate program, Lan Samantha Chang, has repeatedly said that if writer's recognize their strong-points, they can become extraordinary. However, writers need to fix what's not working. This is where the revision process is instrumental. The same is true for the Examen and our daily lives. We should capitalize on our strong points of the day, and try and fix what wasn't working.
The final step is to set a goal for the next day. The Examen is like a machine; we should fix what's not working, and set a goal