"Mindfulness" isn't anything new, at all. I'm unfamiliar with how the Freemason's look(ed) at it, but the suggestion to practice it has become popular in Cognitive Behavioral therapy, and specifically Dialectical Behavioral therapy, as a coping tool.

When I was inpatient and in Intensive Outpatient Programs the term came up again and again. I'll confess as a manic patient back then, it made no sense. Or rather, I was psychologically incapable of understanding or practicing it. However, over time, I "got it" and recognized its benefits. And yes, sometimes it is something I need to push myself into. And it's not always easy, or I forget to practice it...period. Other times it comes naturally, as it does for many even as young as children. Like a positive habit.

For me, mindfulness can help shift my focus away from worries/fear, catastrophizing, and other cognitive distortions. It can help me de-escalate in mood to various degrees or ease depression. It can assist me in appreciating and staying in the present to feel grounded and more easily experience simple pleasures. And more. I obviously still struggle sometimes, so other tools and medical interventions may be needed. One tool alone rarely does 100% for me.

I remember as a teen, in high school, falling in love with the writings of Henry David Thoreau. I forget what struck me most then about them. However, it wasn't until years after my last psych hospitalization that I understood more. I now love them more. Yet, Thoreau did eventually leave his "Waldon". I wouldn't call that a failure, though. In any case, he emphasized mindfulness frequently in his writings. Perhaps one of his quotes at Henry David Thoreau Quotes About Mindfulness | A-Z Quotes might be helpful to someone.