Well, hello there. My name is Morgan Harper-Nichols. I'm an artist and a writer, and this is a space where I share words that I hope can make a little room for you to slow down and take a few deep breaths as you prepare for whatever lies ahead. Thanks for being here today. And now on to today's episode. The practice of mindfulness has become a

buzzword in everyday life. Everywhere we turn, we hear about new mindfulness techniques and new

ideas about what it means to live in the present moment. Even the idea of being present sometimes feels

like a cliche to the point where practicing presence can feel meaningless or silly. However, perhaps

the reason why this concept has become such a popular topic, it's not because it's a catchy, feel-good idea,

but because in practice being present can be incredibly hard to do.

On a daily basis, there are millions of different things that can quickly pull our focus to

the past or the future. Every day, we're surrounded by people we've known

for weeks, months, or years, even virtually, and sometimes the simplest thing said in passing

can take us to an awkward moment or memory from years ago. And when it comes to the future,

seeing someone that we love and respect,

achieve something great, can make us feel like we're not succeeding in the ways that we're

supposed to be. So with life's many distractions pulling our focus into so many different directions,

what remains to pull us back to the present moment? There are many ways

to answer this question, but I'd like to point to what I've learned from one of my favorite

poets, Wendell Berry, in his poem, The Peace of Wild Things. In this poem, he talks about how

when the despair of the world has worn on him, he journeys out into the woods.

He describes these woods with a reverence that only someone who has truly been in the present in that place could.

The poem ends with these words, quote, for a time I rest in the grace of the world and am free, unquote.

And it's there in the peace of wild things that he finds permission to just be, where he finds grace in the present moment.

And I hope that this sentiment can be an invitation for you to discover or rediscover how wild

things can help you practice mindfulness in your own life.

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