Dear friends,
January is, for many of us, a month to reflect and to set intentions. It is not only the start of a new calendar year, but also my birthday month, as some of you know, as I have been known to celebrate birthdays in many places and with many good friends. I celebrate birthdays, in part, to remind myself that I have another 365 days to plan and schedule or as my husband would say ‘overschedule’…
January 20th, 2026 will be my 83rd birthday and in some cultures, birthdays are celebrated as another trip around the sun. Certainly, given I started this one in the wild, I am celebrating another year to enjoy life on the beautiful, bountiful Mother Earth.
On my mind as I contemplate the year’s journey ahead, I am reflecting on the words of one of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver, who famously asked in her poem, “A Summer Day”...”Tell me, what will you do with your one wild, and precious life?”
I have answered that question over and over, and not just on birthdays, but many times facing choices about jobs, relationships, commitments: what would be the best use of time. This year, that question takes on a new meaning because no matter how healthy (or lucky) I stay, 80’s are getting closer to the predicted end of most life journeys around the sun. So I’m going to try to make choices this year from a different perspective: instead of planning ‘What’s next?’, my usual approach to life planning; I plan to consider more the question of ‘what’s now!’
People close to me are skeptical about this shift and with good reason. My compass has always been set on “forward”. My signature, as you may have noted, is “Onward!”. I am innately curious and want to see and be everywhere I haven't been yet, and I confess to often experiencing FOMO (Fear of missing out!) when I’m not looking at a full calendar. So when my colleagues at Project Dandelion were choosing their ‘word’ for the New Year, I said “Present!”, and they were rightfully confused. Did I mean ‘present’ for our end of year reports? No, I explained that what I meant and what I was feeling and what I truly hope I can continue to feel is that I want to be more fully present! For everything in my life now. Present for every joyful moment, more present for every relationship, present for every challenge, truly feeling present for every experience. I want to fully take in each moment of awe or inspiration and be more aware of the impatience and curiosity that are likely the roots of my lifelong focus on moving forward.
Please understand, however, that this does not mean I intend to slow down or stay at home or stop any current activities or decline new engagements. Being present for what is happening now certainly does not mean retiring, a word and concept I reject wholeheartedly. It’s not necessarily resting or relaxing more, either, although rest and moments to rejuvenate and regenerate are important. Over the past year, more than once in this newsletter, I have encouraged just that–retreats that are purposeful and better prepare us to be fully present…by being more mindful.
New research on mindfulness shows that when we gently remain in the discomfort or uncertainty of the present, rather than distract ourselves or push it away, our nervous systems begin to respond differently. Over time, this practice strengthens our capacity to regulate stress and respond from our values instead of our fears. In fact, people who develop present-moment awareness tend to report greater resilience and emotional well-being, because their minds are grounded in what is here and now rather than led astray by the past or future.
In The Stress Paradox, a book I have recommended before and do so again now, Dr. Sharon Bergquist reminds us that the stress, in this case the discomfort of the present moment, itself isn’t simply an enemy that we need to escape by moving past it quickly, but a force that, in the right doses, prepares our bodies and minds to be stronger and better prepared for long and healthier lives. She explains the science behind it, but essentially, it is this: when we engage with the challenges of the present rather than avoid them, we can increase our resilience: emotionally, mentally, and physically. This can apply to the ‘discomfort’ of pushing ourselves in daily exercise to shifting the way we experience stress…physical and emotional.
According to all these studies and the new science about the evolution of cells, we are also enhancing our capacity to experience more meaningful moments in life–from the mundane to the extraordinary. For too many of us, bad stress–stress that ages us–has come from worrying too much about ‘what’s next?” and not allowing our bodies to stretch, (quite literally, physically) or our minds to stay with the “being’ rather than the ‘doing!” Yes, that’s been my mindset–doing as much as possible and planning more, and I’m not expecting an easy shift, and I may even find this doesn’t bring me more joy or satisfaction. And I recognize the privilege of having enough in my present to have the choice to appreciate more deeply every moment of the gifts of a loving marriage, a healthy family, and friends who are fountains of fun and shared passions, and meaningful work. I have a lot to be present for…and I feel deep and abiding gratitude for every part, every moment.
My present focused shift is also inspired by another writer whose book I referenced in my last of 2025 newsletters: Tom Blue Wolf’s inspirational The Great Remembering. Tom reminds us that at times like the ones we are living in now, when so much feels broken and fragile, we must remember that “the simple yet profound relationships that have sustained life for generations are exactly what is needed to be present for all that life holds—for joy and grief, for urgency and rest, for action and listening.”
Being present can look like contentment, but it should never be confused with complacency. It is an active choice: to stay awake to what matters, to remain emotionally invested, to keep showing up even when the work is demanding or the outcomes uncertain.
The future feels uncertain now with threats to the natural ecosystems that allow us to transit the sun with a balanced environment due to the overuse of Mother Earth’s bounty leaving millions without enough and some with way too much.
Yes, there is much in our present lives in a fragile Democracy and an increasingly divided world that can steal the present with the rising fears about ‘what’s coming next?’. But for now, I’m going to do my best to stay present for all that this means and as deeply and wholly committed (and more present for) Project Dandelion, the global movement towards a healthy, habitable future for everyone.
The Dandelion pin which I wear as a reminder to myself and to others that we are part of nature and like the Dandelion, we can find the way to be resilient through present challenges by being more present. We can, like the Dandelion, be persistent and unstoppable with collaborative, connected actions. And we can, like the dandelion, make choices that restore and regenerate and maybe, just maybe, spread the seeds of a new mindfulness to show up for those we love with our best, truly present selves, and to be aware every moment that every choice we make can also be a good one for the planet that gives us our ‘wild and precious lives!
I want to express gratitude for your taking the time from your wild and precious lives to be readers and often responders to what I share. I value this way to be present in your lives as many of you are long time friends as well as new colleagues I’ve met in my travels and work. To help me keep my New Year’s Resolution and apply by ‘new word’ for the year to my life’s choices, I am going from weekly publishing to twice a month.
I hope you will be present for each and share with others. And if you wish to know about Project Dandelion’s work, also subscribe to the Dandelion Digest which publishes weekly.
Onward!
Pat
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