In today’s world mindfulness is just as relevant. Therefore, through the practice of mindfulness, we are better able to deal with the emotional and physical struggles we face on a day to day basis. Mindfulness is paying attention in a serious way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgmentally. This is maintaining a moment by moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and the surrounding environment. Basically, mindfulness is the practice of intentionally being aware of the present moment. Most benefits of mindfulness is learning to respond better to emotional states. Through the use of mindfulness, we can learn to change habits. With a consistent mindfulness practice, we can learn to understand our mind better. By being mindful we start taking control of our emotions, rather than being driven by them. Mindfulness can be practised anywhere. Mindfulness as an act allows the individual to act as an observer to the events that are occurring outside as well as inside and the impact that it is creating within a person. Scientific proof has shown that mindfulness can help reduce stress. There are many times in my life where I cannot concentrate or remember things. It is possible that mindfulness training has helped attention on a task amplifying what is relevant. Breathing is a big part of mindfulness, it teaches us how to properly breathe. When we take a deep breath in it increases our blood flow, which helps us relax. Managing pain and helping mental health is a beneficial factor of being mindful. Mindfulness is a great way to reduce stress and other mental health issues. I’ve always been intrigued by the practice of mindfulness, and always promised myself that I would be more mindful. At the beginning of this course, I will not lie, I was really confused as to why we were meditating and learning about mindfulness. But as we delved deeper and deeper into living in the present, I now understand why it is so important. Learning to be compassionate has shown me that I am so fortunate for what I have. Some people do not have running water, and now I do not take that for granted. There are so many things that I used to take for granted that I now come to really appreciate the little things, like having clean water to drink, or a house to live in. Wicked problems are something that I really had no idea about before this course, and this course has brought this to light. For the first few weeks, I asked myself over and over “Why are we meditating in a DHM class?” and “Why do we need to do this for Interior Design?” but sure enough the meditation answered my questions. It is so easy to be anxious and worry too much, but calming yourself down is the first step to mindfulness. As the semester has worn on and torn me down, I continue to calm myself down by  doing breathing exercises and tell myself that everything will be okay. My major is so time consuming and stress inducing, and that is why this course is so important and impactful. It has taught me how to deal with the stress from this semester. The stress has been a lot; it has been such a culture shock. Mindfulness has helped me realize that everything in the end works out exactly how it is supposed to. That was something that used to be extremely hard for me, but after taking this course, it has become clear to me. I strive each and every day to become more mindful and to never take things for granted, and that is something I hope I spread to my friends and family, because nobody really realizes that things we believe to be a right are actually a luxury to some. It really pains me to know that people do not have access to things that we think to be common. As I said before, this is where mindfulness and awareness come into play, and to realize how good we have it. Within my inner circle, I hope to spread the idea of mindfulness. I have spoken about this course numerous times to not only my family, but also to my roommates. I want them to also understand that there are people in the world who do not enjoy the same luxuries as we do. My mom is very interested in what I learn about in this class, and I call her every Tuesday to tell her about it. Not only has this class transformed me, but it has transformed some of the people that I hold close to my heart. I feel as if mindfulness needs to be taught by more professors, not only in DHM, but in every major across campus. Not only is it important to learn about society’s problems, but it is also important to learn about how to be mindful. Not enough people know what mindfulness is and my goal is to inform people and help them to become more mindful because not only does it help with my own inner peace, it helps with their peace as well. The dramatic transformation this class has had on my mentality is honestly mind blowing. When it comes to wicked problems, there is not enough compassion surrounding them. People tend to overlook them, and pass the issue on to the next generation, however; if that cycle continues, nothing will get done with solving the wicked problem. People need to take the initiative with these issues, and that can be done through mindfulness. By looking at things in the present, we can start to solve these wicked problems. Holistically, mindfulness is the first step to solving any problem that one faces. Our generation is the generation that will begin to solve these wicked problems. I know this because our generation is more mindful and aware of the problems society is facing. We are a generation of activists who care deeply about the environment and society as a whole. No other generation has made the progress we are making, and I believe this to be because our generation is looking at these wicked problems with the intention to solve them instead of pushing them away generationally. I am very hopeful that our generation is the one to not push these problems onto anyone else, instead I hope that we teach others to be mindful and aware of the terrible truth that some people have to live everyday. It pains me to know that the people before me do not care enough about anyone else to think of solutions to solve these wicked problems, and I believe that this class has helped me realize that. Bottom line is that wicked problems need a solution, and the solution needs to come sooner rather than later. The solution will be found within mindfulness, and I hope that more people understand the impact of mindfulness. There is so much that has to do with finding that inner peace within ourselves that brings clarity to issues outside of yourself. I want everyone to begin practicing mindfulness and maybe then wicked problems can come one step closer to being solved.