Harris is a big believer in mindfulness—the ability to be fully present in the moment, be it exhilarating or challenging—which he has practiced for many years. He also sees a deep connection between mindfulness and nature.
“I think nature encourages mindfulness,” he says. “That’s why when people go to the ocean, or see a beautiful river, they feel so good—because they’re fully present. They’re not replaying things in the mind that may have happened in the past or anticipating what may happen in the future.”
His devotion to mindfulness and his attitude of patience allow him to take the long view when he’s enmeshed in projects like Bhutan for Life. He believes that the seeming contradictions in the work—wanting humans and wildlife to thrive while coexisting, or preserving habitats while also allowing economies to benefit people—can be resolved, if conservation efforts are given the necessary time and space to breathe.
“Everything in the world has a natural flow and pace,” he says. “And my experience has been that when you try to alter that flow to reflect your own personal desires, it generally doesn’t work out. I think there’s always a balance between continuing to advocate for what you want and at the same time allowing the process to work in its own way.”
Harris places great weight on the importance of kindness—so much so that he and his family have endowed a Kindness Institute at UCLA. He believes that the most important thing WWF does is bring attention and resources to the issues we seek to influence, including climate change, resource scarcity, and species conservation. But he also recognizes that one of the great challenges inherent in our work is advocating in a way that is kind and respectful toward the many viewpoints present in conservation, while still pushing solutions forward.
“I think the universe is a kind, benevolent place,” he says. “And if we continue to put ourselves forward in that spirit, good things will happen.”