Recently, I wrote an article about my journey into the contemplative tradition.  I’m grateful that this article is now a guest post on Abbey of the Arts – a website that integrates contemplative practices and creative expressions.

Here’s a snippet from my article…

“Helpful Tips from the Recovering Perfectionist*

When I started practicing contemplative spirituality, I faced quite a culture shock. Being from the Silicon Valley, I was task oriented, perfectionistic, and goal driven… everything the contemplative ways are not. Where were the deadlines and checklists I’m so familiar with? It took quite a while for me to understand and adapt to this new and curious lifestyle.

The contemplative traditions are more “organic”.  You can follow a plan and do the exercises, but the results are not so concrete. It’s more like watching plants grow. From day to day, the growth are so minuscule that they are barely noticeable.  Similarly, when I started meditating and going on walks, I couldn’t really see where all these changes would take me. What would really come of just ten minutes of being quiet?  Then, little by little, the peace and quiet from the few minutes spilled into the rest of my day. The changes didn’t come overnight, but they did come.

…Continue reading on Abbey of the Arts.

* Thanks to my friend Liwen Ho for introducing me to the phrase “recovering perfectionist.” :)