Our lives today are full of distractions. While it is easy to go through our days distracting ourselves from our hurts, struggles, and desires, God himself calls us to the contemplative life, a life aware of his presence, his love, and his working. Distraction distorts our desires and impairs our emotions, but a contemplative life is an advantage, a protection, and a preservative; it reminds us of who we truly are, who God truly is, and the richness of life to which he has called his children.