Personal Essays

First-person stories about what mindfulness looks like in real, messy, everyday life. These essays are honest, personal, and often funny - written by people who've found that paying attention changes everything.
interruption habit
Magazine
Breaking The Interruption Habit 

One mom's attempt to notice the moments when we unconsciously interrupt others or allow ourselves to be needlessly interrupted. Read More 

  • Heather Campbell Grimes
  • July 27, 2016
illustration ant picnic
Magazine
Living with, and Loving, Your Imperfect Life 

Mice in your kitchen, ants at the picnic, screaming children, losing your temper, grouchy boss—life is full of imperfections. And yet it’s uncanny how hard we try to keep everything tidy and together. In fact, when we start to loosen up our habits of perfectionism we discover strength and resilience within. Read More 

  • Mark Bertin
  • July 22, 2016
man looking from patio
Magazine
Searching for Happiness and Finding Yard Work 

It can be a fleeting fleeing, especially if we're chasing a need to be happy. An anxious bachelor gets out of his head and into the streets to meet friends and neighbors, in hopes of rescuing his weekend—and his outlook on life. Read More 

  • Mark Bertin
  • July 12, 2016
Magazine
The Art of Living a Spacious Life 

The busier you are, the more you have to step away from busy-ness, to see what’s truly important in life. It’s the open spaces—the moments when you lose yourself—that help you to find contentment, joy, and peace of mind. Read More 

  • Pico Iyer
  • May 20, 2016
Ad for a mindfulness app with meditations, articles, and a section sidebar, shown on a phone held in hand.