Examine & Personal Discipline
Quomnia is all about mindset, balance, truth, discipline, and deeper meanings, not specific actions.
That being said, there are certain actions (which we refer to as “behaviors” in psychology) that we all recognize as beneficial. St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622, Doctor of the Church) even discusses the necessity of sleep to replenish the mind, making it open to self-reflective efforts, “so as to get to bed somewhat earlier than usual, with a view to that rest, bodily and mental, which is so important for serious thought.”
We need not look far to find a host of writings and teachings on right actions in the Church. Most Catholics would agree that regularly receiving the sacraments, including Reconciliation and the Eucharist, as well as participating in liturgical life, is beneficial for us. Theologically, this is hard to argue with. At times, though, our brains, though, can argue plenty.
As human beings, sometimes these healthy actions seem out of reach or difficult to sustain once we have done them. How many times have we found ourselves in a situation similar to the post-gym burger? “Well, I didn’t have time to go home after the gym and cook a healthy meal before bedtime. I got a diet soda! At least I went to the gym!” While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with a burger or soda, we get the idea. Perhaps you commit to never cussing again, and then promptly stub your toe! Sometimes, we do things to undo what we just did. This undoing can often be chalked up to being “undisciplined.” Discipline is necessary for a life well lived, but is it the only factor?
While it is technically correct to say that it is undisciplined to “undo” what we “did” in healthy disciplined actions, it’s not as simple as “I did” or “I didn’t.” Perhaps we don’t need to take this as far as a Shakespearian Hamlet conundrum (“to be or not to be…”), but there is more mindset here than just actions that did/didn’t. It’s a little too easy to say, "I’m just undisciplined, lazy," or "I just have too many psychological barriers to even try to do the thing I need to do."
On the other hand, we can become lost in the rigidity of discipline, or "doing" for the sake of "doing" and losing sight of the Good that we are doing something for. This rigidity can manifest as obsessions or perfectionism, which are broad topics that cannot be fully addressed within the scope of this discussion. Suffice it to say, to do a thing to do a thing is not the same as to do a thing because we are moving toward some greater purpose. For example, we don’t want to avoid sin simply to avoid sin. We want to avoid sin to grow in holiness, closer to God, and to have His Grace and Mercy present in our lives, and be reunited with him in the afterlife.
Whether undisciplined or overly rigid in discipline, the fundamental disconnect is the mindset, not the actions themselves. Mindsets, beliefs about ourselves, and automatic thoughts are the first barriers to “doing” what we need to do. Yes, sometimes we need just to get out there and do it. Also, sometimes we need to stop making excuses and recognize the true reason we aren’t doing something. Often, “I just don’t want to.” Sometimes, “there are legitimate reasons I can’t,” which means we need to think more creatively about how to meet the need. If we surrender to “I just can’t,” we won’t. We’ll explore thinking creatively later; for now, we need to recognize the true source of our disconnects.
The initial movement of Quomnia, Examine the Source, involves turning inward to understand the self, outward to perceive reality, and upward to acknowledge the ultimate Source of truth and being. We’ll gain a deeper understanding of this as the Quomnia resources become available. For now, here’s a preview.
“Faults cannot be cured unless their roots and causes have been discovered”
Sometimes, we just don’t want to do the difficult thing we need to do, and would rather do something more enjoyable; sometimes it’s that simple. Sometimes we just don’t know what to do. Sometimes, we have too much going on to pull away from and focus on what we need to do, and we need clarity of mind, courage to face our fears, or some virtue to pursue. Sometimes, we have more deep-seated struggles that interfere with our ultimate desires. Sometimes we are battling with something beyond our nature to understand and need significant support.
So… which is it?
St. Augustine famously discussed his readiness for chastity; however, even after his conversion, he continued to grapple with self-awareness: “Lord, teach me to know Thee, and to know myself.” A historically famous Bishop who is a Doctor of the Church doesn’t know himself? Even with his beautiful writings, self-reflections, and raw relatability, even in Today’s age, if he can’t know himself,
Similarly, St. Francis cries, “Who art Thou, Lord, and who am I?” St. Francis set an example that sent shockwaves through history, inspiring countless men and women to put on his cloak and follow his way. Renouncing his family’s wealth, going off with no belongings, to daily pray and talk to the birds and squirrels. The man who founded the Franciscan Order, who was a stigmatist, the Patron Saint of Italy, and one of the most beloved saints of all time, still asks, “Who am I?”
There must be no hope for the rest of us, right?
On the contrary, Augustine and Francis knew that a deeper (genuine) knowledge of self can lead to a more intimate relationship with God.
Through the Quomnia way and its first movement, Examine the Source, we learn to gain insight into our own nature, grasp the realities of the world, recognize the divine origin of all truth and life, and make our way out of darkness to the light.
If you are ready to face yourself and ask, “How do I begin to understand myself, so that I can make way the path of my heart for the true presence of the Lord,” stay tuned to Quomnia’s resources, as we will examine the source, ex quo omnia (from whom are all things).
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