A few weeks ago, I was flying home after a weekend of teaching. It had been a full-on few days — great students, long conversations, lots of energy — and I was looking forward to some quiet time on the flight.
I found my seat, popped in my headphones, and sank into my own little bubble. Music on, head leaned back, eyes closed.
Then I noticed the man sitting next to me.
Orange pants. Orange robe. Shaved head.
A monk.
(Or at least, I think he was a monk. Possibly Buddhist? I’ll admit, I’m not up to speed on modern monkery. Monkhood? Monk-dom? Anyway…)
What caught my eye wasn’t his robes. It was his phone.
He was scrolling Facebook. Not lazily. Focused scrolling.
And his feed? Well, a lot of it was monks.
Monks in temples.
Monks in lush outdoor settings.
Monks in what looked like corporate office spaces?
It was a stream of saffron-colored robes in all kinds of places. A digital window into what I assume was his world — peers, mentors, friends, maybe other spiritual leaders?
And suddenly I found myself wondering:
Do monks get FOMO?
Do they compare themselves to other monks?
Do they think, Wow, Brother So-and-So is really crushing it with the meditative retreats lately?
How does mindfulness coexist with a platform built on distraction and comparison?
I don’t have answers. But I do know this:
Even monks scroll.
Even monks — people who’ve chosen a life of simplicity and discipline — sometimes drift.
And that tells me something.
It tells me that no one is immune to distraction. Not monks. Not dog trainers. Not me. Not you.
But here’s the thing:
It’s not about never drifting.
It’s about noticing when you have — and choosing to come back.
To your next training session.
To your dog’s joyful energy.
To the feel of your feet moving.
To your breath.
To your body, in it.
That’s what mindfulness really is — the returning. Not the perfection.
If this kind of reflection resonates with you — if you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by your own mindset, or wondering why you just can’t seem to stay grounded when it matters — I have something for you.
It’s called Mindset Matters. It’s a free eBook I wrote for agility handlers and trainers who want to grow not just their skills, but their mental game. It’s full of insights, prompts, and tools that will help you come back to yourself, over and over again.
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