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Featured Book for January 2026

Here: A Spirituality of Staying in a Culture of Leaving

by Lydia Sohn

A contemplative guide to finding satisfaction right where you are, by understanding what it is within us that leads to dissatisfaction and creating long-lasting fulfillment—inspired by the ancient Christian tradition of Benedictine stability.

“A challenging spiritual invitation—one that we definitely need.”—Shannon K. Evans, author of The Mystics Would Like a Word

Lydia Sohn was a serial burn-it-down-and-make-a-fresh-start girl until, when in her late twenties, she encountered the Rule of St. Benedict with its vow of stability, and her world was transformed. Sohn took a pause to consider what she wanted out of life—identity, purpose, community—and had a lightbulb moment: Everything she needed to live the life she desired was already within her reach.

Here pushes back against our age of constant reinvention and the cultural message that we should do whatever it takes to get wherever we want to go. Instead, Sohn’s message is the opposite: stay. Stay and cultivate the immense potential and beauty that currently lies dormant within your circumstances.

Sohn understands the allure of nomadism. A nomadic life would protect us from the stress of relational conflicts that inevitably arise when we’re caught in the intricate web of commitments. But the restlessness, FOMO, and disappointment we’re trying to escape always come along for the journey. That’s because they’re not the result of our circumstances; they reside within us.

Braiding personal narrative and spiritual reflection, Here inspires readers to both embrace and transform their circumstances through commitment and stability—in order that they might find true contentment right where they are.

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Video Conversation

Audio Recording

Additional Author Links

Rev. Lydia Sohn’s Website

Community Questions

Community Questions from Claudia Love Mair

Part I

  1. In the introduction to Here, Lydia states that she learned about the Benedictine vow of stability as a secretary at a seminary. p. xiii. What does the word "stability" bring up for you?
  2. Lydia writes that the vow of stability is meant to support your freedom and wholeness and that it never applies to abuse or oppression. p.xv. What are some beliefs about staying that do more harm than good?
  3. The introduction to Here acknowledges that notions of stability and commitment may feel restrictive. p.xvi. Name a way that stability could feel restrictive?

Part II

  1. In the chapter "Is It Me?" Lydia writes about the casual use of the word "toxic." p.6. She later explains that she's cautious about using the word. Who or what have you ever labeled toxic?
  2. What does it mean to believe that you are light, light that can never be destroyed or harmed? p.10.
  3. Contemporary spiritual teachers view alchemy as a way of transmuting life's pain. For example, rather than leaving a harsh environment, infusing it with joy. p. 13. Where have you alchemized pain or witnessed someone else do so?

Part III

  1. Chapter 2, "If Only," begins with a story of Lydia getting her dream home, only to realize how lonely she was once it was perfect. What is your "if only" that you believe will make life better?
  2. Page 33 reflects on comparing ourselves to others, making it clear that these comparisons are largely based on the façade of who we think that person is? Who have you compared yourself to? What attributes of theirs did you desire?
  3. How can gratitude shift your perception of yourself and your life? p. 34-36.

Part IV

  1. Journeys are built into stories. p. 52. Is your own story adventure driven, or are you a protagonist prone to staying put? Or are you neither or both?
  2. Two matters that the chapter "Trying Things On for Size" (p. 76) delves into are "failed" experiences, and the idea that we should have known better. How does the thought that we do the best we can with the resources we have change the way you feel about any perceived failures or the implication that you should have known better?
  3. On page 196 Lydia shared her customized version of the Daily Examen. Make space in your life to practice it for one week. What was the process like for you? What did you notice? What were you inspired to do or stop doing?
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