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Denise Pyles

2y ago

I write about micro-mindfulness to help mid-career tech professionals reclaim clarity and calm so they can show up with presence and peace.

Why I Became a Nun and What Drives My Purpose Today
Denise Pyles

1 question drew me to being a nun:

What will you do with your life that will matter most to others?

The nuns I knew were like walking billboards reflecting this question to the world by the way they lived.

Family Roots

I grew up in a family of 7 siblings, 9 people who lived in a 1,300-square-foot home.

My parents practiced their Catholic faith in a way that worked for them. They also empowered us to nurture a relationship with God in our own way.   

3 core values I learned from my family:

  • Gratitude - be grateful for the gift of life to live this day.

  • Inclusion - respect, welcome, and be kind to everyone.

  • Service - do your part to make the world a better place.

Why I Became a Nun

Nuns were part of my educational journey.

My formal education traversed a Catholic grade school, an all-girls Catholic high school, a state university, and a Catholic seminary.

3 reasons I became a nun:  

  • To go deep - to grow in my relationship with my higher power (God as Unconditional Love) and go deep in my life's purpose.

  • To belong - be part of a community that will help me grow into my best myself.

  • To make an impact - work with a community to do good in the world.

I became a nun in 1993 and left in 2001.

Living a life that matters still drives my purpose today. It is the motivating factor for how I work, relate, write, and live in the present moment.

What Drives You?

What fuels your life's purpose and what are you doing with your life that matters most to others?

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