Valente Speaks on Mindfulness as Part of Theology on Tap Series

On September 19, the Mindfulness in the Age of Twitter came to Viterbo. The talk was given by Judith Valente, a journalist and author who has worked for the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, PBS, and who is currently employed at NPR.

She started her lecture by congratulating the students for attending Viterbo University, as in her own words: “The liberal arts prepare us for a life of meaning, regardless of profession.”

Valente then shared a bit of her life story, describing herself as a “recovering workaholic” and the events leading up to her becoming a student of the Benedictine tradition, explaining how St. Benedict stressed simplicity over consumption and “silence over chatter.”

The main message of her talk was: You don’t have to live in a monastery to live a contemplative life. All you need really do is to take the time to think about your life, not just what you’re doing, but why you’re doing it. “The story behind the story” as Valente called it.

Student Aaryn Jones came for his religious studies class but found himself very interested in the topic.

“It was really moving for me, and made me think really deeply,” he explained.

During the question and answer session after the talk, he pointed out that college students often have incredibly busy and packed schedules and asked how they could do the Benedictine mindfulness in practice. Valente agreed and answered that you must be very deliberate with taking time for contemplation, looking at one’s schedule and deciding where they could take five or ten minutes to be in silence.

Another question posed was a clarification. Valente answered that she did not hate or dislike social media; she just believes that it should be done in moderation and that you definitely should not get your news from it.

Elizabeth Walsh is another student who came for her religious studies class and took an interested in mindfulness.

“It was very interesting, and it gave me a new perspective on mindfulness,” Walsh explained.