Our Vibrant Inner Life: Awakening to Joy
Practice of Presence Teaching by Brian Mueller
Choosing Presence offers us fresh language to describe both the process and the power of becoming present. While many are familiar with terms like meditation and contemplation, we often miss their deeper essence. When Jim Heaney writes about practicing presence, he’s simply and clearly naming what it truly means to meditate or contemplate. I can almost hear him asking us, “Why do we do these things if not to become present to our lives?”
Most of us live outwardly, shaped by people, actions, and accomplishments. But what about our inner life? How and why do we turn inward? In stillness, we begin to notice God’s Spirit and learn from our interior experiences. Jim calls this our “vibrant inner life”—a space of peace and presence where we connect with divine energy and joy.
The practice of presence frees us from the unconscious turmoil that feeds fear, anxiety, and stress. It transforms how we experience life, softening the ego and allowing us to respond rather than react, to offer compassion over judgment, and humility over arrogance. As our ego loosens, our relationships deepen, and our lives become grounded in love.
Through presence, many of us rediscover a spirituality not rooted in doctrines and dogmas, but in reverence for the sacredness of life.
Brian Mueller – Poet, Community Organizer, and Spiritual Guide
Brian Mueller is a poet and community organizer based in Dayton, Ohio. He serves as Director of Engagement & Outreach for ChoosingPresence.org and is an active member of the Ohio Chapter of Illuman, where he co-leads writing retreats that support men’s spiritual journeys. As a writer, Brian is known for his candid, accessible poetry, with works including Cock‑A‑Doodle‑Doo: 100 Morning Haiku, the Poem of the Day series, and the Bull Series. Inspired by poets like Rumi and Mary Oliver, he believes everyone carries the voice of a poet within.
