Mindful Miles

“I just don’t get it,” she said, throwing her hands up in a familiar gesture of frustration. “I went for a walk today, trying to be mindful, and all I did was create a mental grocery list. My brain was a thousand miles away, thinking about my to-do list and whether or not I should finally get an air fryer.”

She sighed and shook her head. “I just don’t think I’m cut out for this. Everyone talks about how serene it is, but my mind is just… a mess.”

I smiled, recognizing the struggle. “But that’s the whole point,” I told her. “The goal isn’t a silent mind. That’s a myth.

“”Your walk isn’t a failure just because your brain didn’t cooperate. The real art of mindfulness isn’t found in a perfectly calm state, but in the practice of gently bringing yourself back. Every time you noticed your mind wandering to that air fryer and brought it back to the feeling of the pavement beneath your feet—that was the mindful moment. That’s the work.”

I watched her face relax.

“Don’t judge the journey by your destination,” I said. “Judge it by the fact that you showed up for it. The point isn’t perfection; the point is persistence.”