We do it every year. We decide that we need to make a change, do something differently, shift our routine, make new commitments. But making a list of "New Year's Resolutions" is not enough, we've found. We know ourselves well enough to realize that we often resist change, and we need a spiritual practice to reinforce our desired behavior. The religious life gives us plenty of examples of this kind of practice. Christian monks and nuns take vows when they enter an order. Buddhist practitioners … [Read more...]