just be it Just Be It is a practice of presence that recognizes the limits of language. When aware of silence there is a state of inner still alertness. You are wholeheartedly present.

What conditions allow human beings to bloom?

That may be one of the most important questions we can bring to politics, religion, economics, and our relationships with one another.

Project 2025 and the Heritage Foundation argue that freedom and opportunity grow when the power of the federal administrative state is reduced. Their own language emphasizes deregulation, decentralization, parental authority, border enforcement, and transferring power away from federal institutions. 

But there is another question worth asking:

When does removing restraint create opportunity, and when does it remove the protections that make participation possible?

I keep coming back to something I have experienced on the water.

Watch the wind travel across a large, unobstructed body of water. Given enough distance—enough fetch—the flow can become more organized. Introduce obstacles and the air becomes turbulent.

Perhaps human beings aren’t so different.

Given the right conditions, life wants to bloom. People want to participate, create, contribute, love and belong. Fear, violence, exclusion and excessive attempts at manipulation and control can introduce turbulence into that process.

This is why I return to a very simple pledge:

Do no harm.

Not because we will ever accomplish it perfectly, but because it changes the direction of our attention.

What is the wake of this action?

Does it increase another person’s opportunity to participate—or diminish it?

Does it create collaboration—or fear?

Does it encourage healing—or add another obstruction?

For me, this is where the Golden Rule becomes more than a religious teaching. It becomes a practice of stewardship.

Our political and religious divisions will not be healed simply by defeating somebody else. Healing requires something much harder: enough humility to become quiet together.

In that silence, perhaps we can loosen our certainty long enough to allow Grace, divine providence, or simply a wisdom larger than our individual egos to enter.

Climate, globalization and technology are changing extraordinarily quickly. Meeting that acceleration will require imagination and collaboration on an equally large scale.

Perhaps our task is not always to push harder.

Perhaps sometimes our task is to remove unnecessary obstruction.

Give one another room to participate.

Give compassion room to operate.

Give wisdom room to emerge.

Give the wind room to blow.

And then, with full attention to the wake we leave behind, ask:

What conditions can we create so that everything has a better chance to bloom?

“At the heart of each of us, whatever our imperfections there exists a silent pulse of perfect rhythm, made up of wave forms and resonances, which is absolutely individual and unique, and yet which connects us to everything in the universe. The act of getting in touch with this pulse can transform our personal experience and in some way alter the world around us.” George Leonard. “The Silent Pulse”, p. 11

Just be it is not another philosophy to adopt. It is an invitation to awaken. It asks us to become so present that the separation between ourselves and life begins to dissolve. The musician becomes the music. The runner becomes the run. The gardener becomes the garden. In these moments there is no performer trying to achieve; there is only participation.

Modern neuroscience speaks of the quieting of the default mode network. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called it flow. Brother David Steindl-Rast called it wakeful attention. Zen simply points us back to this moment. Different languages, one territory. The common thread is that our deepest joy is found not in becoming somebody, but in fully inhabiting the gift of being here.

Choosing to embrace the sunrise with gratitude rather than digital distraction fosters a more peaceful and intentional daily existence.

While birds naturally greet the dawn with song, humans often default to checking digital devices. This immediate immersion in global conflict or outrage shapes our mental state negatively from the start. By choosing to mirror the avian instinct for wonder, we can consciously shift our mindset before our feet even hit the floor.

Cultivating Mindful Presence

Adopting a bird-like perspective encourages us to prioritize belonging over complaint. We can transform our daily experience through intentional shifts in perspective:

• Shifting narratives: Move from the burden of “I have to be here” to the genuine gift of “I get to be here.”
• Practicing presence: Acknowledge the current day as an opportunity rather than an obligation.
• Limiting consumption: Reduce exposure to negative external information to preserve inner calm.

Ultimately, we have the agency to decide how we begin our day. By replacing cycles of anxiety with moments of appreciation, we honor the gift of existence, much like the rhythmic, grounding songs of the morning birds.

The Birds Know

God told the birds to greet the morning with song.

Before the traffic begins, before the headlines arrive, before the endless stream of opinions and distractions fills the air, the birds begin their daily service. They gather in the trees, on rooftops, along shorelines, and in the fields, welcoming another day.

The loon calls across the water, inviting us to wake up. The dove offers its gentle song of peace. The chickadee chatters with enthusiasm. And the robin, perhaps the most diligent of them all, is often the first to sing at sunrise and the last to sing at sunset.

For those willing to listen, they offer a daily lesson.

They do not begin their day by focusing on what is wrong. They do not gather to complain about yesterday. They do not rehearse their grievances or argue over who deserves blame. They simply participate in the miracle of another dawn.

Many of us have developed a different ritual. We wake and immediately reach for a device. Within moments, our minds are flooded with stories of conflict, disaster, outrage, scandal, and fear. We are invited to focus on everything that is broken, everything that threatens us, and everything that demands our attention.

There is value in being informed, but there is also danger in beginning each day by feeding dissatisfaction.

What we put our attention on grows stronger.

When we start the morning with complaint, complaint grows. When we start with fear, fear grows. When we start with gratitude, gratitude grows. Attention is nourishment. It feeds whatever we place before it.

The birds seem to understand this instinctively. Their first act is not complaint but participation. Not resistance but expression. Not fear but song.

Each morning they remind us that we have a choice.

We can begin the day with “I have to be here,” or we can begin with “I get to be here.”

One path leads toward dissatisfaction and scarcity. The other leads toward appreciation and enoughness.

The birds are calling us back to the second path.

Their message is simple:

Wake up.

Be here.

Listen.

Sing your song.

And give thanks for another day.

I’m not sure whether my writings will fit or work for you. I simply put them out into the world with the intention of sharing what has fit and worked for me as I navigate the river of life.

For more than 30 years I’ve maintained a daily writing practice. I’m deeply grateful for the recent emergence of AI tools that have helped me organize many of these reflections and writings.

These projects now exist in several forms. The books are available through Amazon Kindle ebook and paperback editions, and I’ve used AI and Speechify to help create audio versions in my own synthesized voice, which are available on YouTube.

If the timing fits and you feel drawn to have a look, I appreciate your attention. If it doesn’t, no worries at all.

My hope is simple: if you happen to find something here that works for you as it has for me, then these projects have been worthwhile.

With gratitude,

Randy Johnson

YouTube Channel: Just Be It – Randy Johnson

Is my political or religious affiliation in service to healing or hurting? Does it move me toward greater unity or deeper division? Does it help me reduce suffering, or does it lead me to justify collateral damage in the name of a cause?

Every political and religious tradition contains people who sincerely seek compassion, justice, and human flourishing. Likewise, every tradition can also become attached to identity.

The deeper question isn’t, “Which side am I on?” but rather:

• Does this make me more curious or more certain?
• Does it expand my capacity to listen?
• Does it reduce fear and increase belonging?
• Does it help me see the humanity of those who disagree with me?
• Does it leave less suffering in its wake?

If the answer is yes, then the affiliation may be serving healing. If it consistently produces contempt, dehumanization, or indifference to collateral harm, then it deserves honest examination, regardless of whether it is political, religious, or ideological.

The true measure of any belief system is not the certainty of its doctrine, but the wake it leaves behind. Does it leave people more whole or more wounded? More connected or more divided? More capable of love or more consumed by fear? Wisdom asks us to look not at what we profess to believe, but at the consequences of how we live those beliefs.

That shifts the focus from defending an identity to examining the fruits of one’s practice.

Attention is a non-neutral, active force that functions as the primary architect of our personal reality and collective experience. When we focus our cognitive energy on a specific subject, we effectively provide it with the fuel necessary for growth. Because our mental resources are finite, what we choose to observe ultimately defines the quality of our inner state and our broader perspective on the world. By recognizing that attention is energy, we can begin to treat our focus as a precious, non-renewable resource that requires careful management and conscious direction.

The Competition for Mental Energy

The human mind is inherently susceptible to distractions that thrive on negative emotions. Certain forces, described here as parasites, actively compete for our engagement, often drawing us toward states of fear, resentment, or greed. This competitive environment for our focus makes it easy to lose sight of the present moment.

• The Displacement Effect: High-profile figures or volatile media cycles often dominate public discourse, creating a form of mental myopia that obscures the tangible beauty and immediate responsibilities in our daily lives.
• The Cost of Neglect: When we surrender our attention to external dramas, we sacrifice the opportunity to notice the subtle, nourishing aspects of existence, such as nature, personal connection, and the quiet work of self-improvement.

Cultivating Intentionality and Wisdom

Wisdom is found in the ability to audit where our focus rests at any given time. By consciously pairing our attention with clear, constructive intentions, we regain sovereignty over our mental landscape. This process of intentional living is not about total control over external stimuli, but rather about choosing how we respond to the information we receive.

1. Self-Reflection: Begin by asking if your current focal point fosters deeper understanding or merely amplifies division and anxiety.
2. Conscious Redirection: Identify when your mind has been captured by destructive loops and proactively pivot toward themes of compassion, stewardship, and gratitude.
3. Persistent Practice: Recognize that the discipline of focus is a repetitive habit that requires constant refinement rather than a one-time achievement.

The Path to Wholeness

True freedom exists within the narrow margin of choice we have regarding where to direct our awareness. While we cannot dictate every event that enters our field of vision, we possess the autonomy to decide which elements we choose to nurture. By consistently withdrawing our energy from the parasitic influences of fear and redirecting it toward growth-oriented values, we actively construct a more balanced and meaningful life.

Ultimately, this practice is both simple and remarkably demanding. It asks that we remain vigilant in our awareness, noticing when our focus drifts and gently returning it to the pursuits that cultivate wholeness. Through the repeated act of choosing where to place our energy, we transform our lived experience from one of reactive volatility into one of deliberate, intentional purpose, ensuring that our inner life is nourished rather than depleted.

What fits you? What works for you? What do you vow to serve?

Our daily practices become the foundation upon which the quality of our lives is built. We become what we repeatedly do, think, and attend to. The small choices made each day—how we greet the morning, how we care for our bodies, what we feed our minds, how we speak to others, and what we do with our attention—quietly shape our character and our experience of the world.

It is easy to be devoted without realizing it. Some devote themselves to worry. Some to accumulation. Some to complaint, distraction, or the endless pursuit of approval. Others devote themselves to awareness, gratitude, compassion, creativity, stewardship, and healing.

The question is not whether we are devoted. The question is: To what are we devoted?

Wisdom asks us to pay attention to the results. Does the practice increase fear or diminish it? Does it create separation or belonging? Does it nourish vitality or drain it? Does it contribute to healing or to hurting?

Over time, life provides feedback. Certain practices leave us feeling more grounded, more present, more connected. Other practices leave us anxious, divided, exhausted, or dissatisfied. Wisdom is the willingness to notice the difference and to move toward what fits and what works.

Perhaps this is why daily practice matters so much. It is less about achieving some distant goal and more about cultivating a way of being. Day after day, breath after breath, we are shaping the person we become.

What are you practicing today?

What seeds are you watering?

What do you vow to serve?

The answers to these questions may reveal the direction of your life more clearly than any belief, opinion, or ambition ever could.

I’m not sure whether my writings will fit or work for you. I simply put them out into the world with the intention of sharing what has fit and worked for me as I navigate the river of life.

For more than 30 years I’ve maintained a daily writing practice. I’m deeply grateful for the recent emergence of AI tools that have helped me organize many of these reflections and writings.

These projects now exist in several forms. The books are available through Amazon Kindle ebook and paperback editions, and I’ve used AI and Speechify to help create audio versions in my own synthesized voice, which are available on YouTube.

If the timing fits and you feel drawn to have a look, I appreciate your attention. If it doesn’t, no worries at all.

My hope is simple: if you happen to find something here that works for you as it has for me, then these projects have been worthwhile.

With gratitude,

Randy Johnson

YouTube Channel: Randy Johnson (just be it)