to make spiritual progress this year, it's best to practice “nothing”

97 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. You know that by now.
But the desire to change, reset, make progress and grow cannot be broken.
There is something in the heart of a man that wants another shot at life.
Another chance to move out of the shadows and into the light.

But in spite of our best efforts, we often fall into a frustrating cycle of failure. 

Try. Fail. Shame. 
Try. Fail. Guilt. 
Resolve. Fail again.
Don’t bother trying.
Settle.

In his book Atomic Habits, one of the most contrarian pieces of advice James Clear gives is about focusing on small habits for the long haul, not seeking massive change in the present.

Tiny habits. Small change. Slow progress.

This may not stir us to get up at 4:30 am and hang with Jocko, but it may actually work in our formation as men. It turns out that over the course of the year, the almost imperceptible is stronger than the heroically unsustainable. And that got me thinking about Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. You may or may not have heard of her, but she has something profound to teach us as a community of men. The message of The Little Way.

Thérèse Martin became a Carmelite nun in the late 19th century when she was 15 years old. She did nothing that we would describe as heroic. She lived an obscure life in a cloistered monastery in a small town in France. She died of tuberculosis at 24. Yet she was canonized as a saint and recognized as a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul ll in 1997. Pope St. Pius X called her the greatest saint of modern times. Why?

THE LITTLE WAY. 

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux was in touch with reality. She realized that she was not gifted in such a way as to become famous. She didn’t have the public persona to be an "influencer" in her time. Instead, she resolved to just live a small life, the little way of love. 

She wrote: "For me to become great is impossible. I must bear with myself and my many imperfections."  She described herself as "neither capable or called to great feats of public witness."

Truth be told, most of us are not called to great feats of public witness. Regardless of what the media tells us, a few likes on the Gram indicate, or Tik-Tok promises, most of us will live smaller lives. Local lives, known by a community we see day in, day out, and maybe even at times we wish we could escape. 

Yet Thérèse resolved to live where she could, how she could. She resolved to filter everything she did through the lens of God’s love. She resolved to honor God and love others in every interaction, and for her, that was enough. In fact, she viewed what she did as so simple and so small, they were almost nothing.

"My mortifications consisted in breaking my will, always so ready to impose itself on others, in holding back a reply, in rendering little services without any recognition, in not leaning my back against a support when seated… It was through the practice of these nothings that I prepared myself to become the fiancée of Jesus."

The practice of these nothings.
The practice of these "nothings" ended up making her a saint. The practice of these "nothings" gives us more hope and help than the majority of hyped-up religion and clever one-liners that do nothing to change our hearts. 

As much as I love huge goals, massive plans, and game-changing vision, most of it nets out as unsustainable ambition. We need to love where we are, with who God has given us, in real and practical ways. 

Being patient with that kid making you late. Seems like nothing. 
Not needing recognition for the idea at work. Seems like nothing.
Not dropping that zinger to defend your ego. Seems like nothing.
Cleaning the house while everyone is asleep. Seems like nothing.
Going to a prayer meeting when you’re tired. Seems like nothing.
Overlooking that offense. Seems like nothing.

Yet these nothings, these almost imperceptible moments where we follow Jesus, put others first, and deflect attention, give without reward. These nothings add up over time and the little way helps us make progress on the narrow way, the way of meaning and life. 

Rolheiser notes: "Our littleness makes us aware that, for the most part, we cannot do the big things that shape world history. But we can change the world more humbly, by sowing a hidden seed, by being a hidden antibiotic of health inside the soul of humanity, and by splitting the atom of love inside our own selves. 

In 2023, maybe the one thing you can truly do to make progress is practice "nothing."

Here’s to a deep and meaningful year.

Cheers.

Jon.