The path to serenity lies in living in the moment. But the moment is hard to find when Christmas shopping. So this year, I’m trying to shop mindfully, to enjoy the process a little more, to choose special gifts for the people I love but not obsess about finding the perfect item.

It’s an attitude shift. It’s about serendipity, stumbling across a scarf with texture and dash or a cunning little teapot. But it requires stores with odd jumbles of merchandise (which I’ve found by steering clear of the mall) and that the shopper (me) browse with open eyes and calm spirit.

Here’s where mindfulness comes in. I’ve noticed that it’s only when I leave behind any notion of finding the perfect gift that all the perfectly good gifts appear.