Are we sometimes too busy performing, doing our tasks, reaching our goals, even living our dreams to be truly present? I know I need to keep calling myself back into the present moment to truly notice and feel the present. To remind myself of the gratitude I feel for being alive and for having my turn in the history of the universe. For me it may mean taking a deep breath, wriggling my toes, listening carefully to the sounds around me and focusing on the things in my line of vision. I might even put my hand on my stomach and feel it rise and fall, amazed at the way my body keeps on going. Sometimes I will seek out in this moment something natural, like a tree outside the window, or the sound of a bird, or I focus closely on one of my pets if they are around. After this, it’s nice to have a glass of water, or a cup of tea and mindfully take in the taste and scent of such a simple pleasure.
It seems easier to be more present on our days off work, or at the end of a long day. Yet, I’d like to encourage you to take in a few moments even when you are at the peak of extreme busyness – performance will improve and you’re more likely to go the distance and achieve those hopes and dreams. What do you think?
This isn’t as easy as it sounds, to be present with ourselves, our friends and especially with our children can be hard. It is counter culture. Our culture is achievement focused, but as I have suggested, our performance can improve with presence. How much will our parenting improve if we attend closer to our children? Same can be asked of intimate relationships, our friendships and also our work colleagues.
Taking a moment here and there in a day to reconnect to all that is important and meaningful will keep us on track with what we value and can assist us to tweak our performance, our goals and ambitions so they line up with how we prefer to be during our time in the history of the universe. There is power to be found in the present moment, so go on and seize the moment!
