Wow! In this exceptionally beautiful fall weather, the walks in the woods have been marvelous.
Warm breezes in the afternoon, brisk mornings, bright sunshine illuminating the foliage, the
smell of fall alternating with the fresh lake air, all take me out of my worries and distractions and
place me firmly in the present. At these moments I find myself filled with gratitude. It makes
celebrating Thanksgiving so tangible. Whatever is happening in the world, or really, in my mind,
the sensations of Cartier park at dawn place me firmly in the here and now.

Being present to the moment, and realizing how this makes my concerns and worries dissipate,
reminds me of the words of the stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius: “Today I escaped from
anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions—not outside.” In
“being present” moments, like on my walks, it confirms that my perceptions are the source of
anxiety, not the events themselves. Anticipating bad things, learning through sources like the
internet about happenings throughout the world and in other peoples’ lives, are all perceptions.

In the here and now, I have the breeze and the foliage and the sunshine. In those moments I am
able to escape from anxiety, or rather, discard it. All the troublesome perceptions can fade away,
and I simply live life. In those moments I realize that what I am experiencing in that moment is
all I really know, or can ever really know, and that it is good, and a comfort.

If I reflect on those moments, I come to understand how much of my “reality” I create. As I worry
about troublesome events that could occur in the future, I realize that they are in my
imagination, as is my discontent, and that I am, in this moment, creating them. When I think
back about a past event, it is a narrative that I am weaving, creating. I then realize I have a
choice as to whether, or how, I want to do this weaving of the past or imagining of the future.

In the fall foliage and the chill mornings, in the moment, I come to realize that these wonderful
fall sensations that I so appreciate are what is real, or as real as reality gets. The future is in my
imagination, and the past is my weaving of a tale from perceptions. Why would I choose to allow
my imagination or a narrative I create weigh me down? When someone does or says something I do not like, it is in my perception that it gains heft and takes hold in my thoughts. There is
often no more to these moments then the weight and credence I choose to give them. Likewise
my worries and doubts and fears, I discover in the golden hour light streaming through the
opening forest canopy, are all my creation.

All the better to try and bring myself back to reality, or as real as it gets. Reality lies in the
moment I find myself. In the sensations I feel. In the breaths I take. In the woods. In the fall.