Recently a new friend asked me what helps me be present. At first I wasn’t sure how to respond. Then, as I allowed my mind to wander, the floodgate opened.
A cool breeze. Intimacy. Awareness of my breath. The moon. Gratitude. A delicious latte. Reverence. Snow. Deep conversation. Skiing. Meaningful ceremony. Kundalini yoga. Railroad tracks. Expansive vistas. The Grand Canyon.
How could I not be present with these two love beings?!?
My cats. A long, hot shower. With my lover. Dancing. Music that moves me. Aaron Neville. Grief. Sunrise. Sunset. A rushing stream. The ocean. Silence. Tiramisu. Touch. Holding space for someone. Kissing. A compelling movie. A shared tender moment. Sade. Drumming. Vulnerability.
Realizing what helps me be present feels so good to me!
What helps you become super present? I’d love to hear from you.
(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for transforming crisis into clarity and purpose”)
Ken, now you gave me something to think about. None of those things guarantee me being present. Yet, more often than not, I do become super present in those circumstances.
And, there is a danger in needing a specific set of circumstances to become present. That leans toward me thinking that things outside of me create my “good” or “bad” life.
I know better. My own thinking creates my life.
So, it’s both/and. I tend to become super present in some situations more than others. And, I have the opportunity in every moment to become super present, regardless of the circumstances. Even if that means being present with my resistance!
First, I admire your ability to whip out a list like that. My brain doesn’t seem to function in the same way. Second, I find that I might be present or not in most all those experiences. For instance, being in nature doesn’t at all guarantee I will be present there. What I don’t know is whether it requires a conscious decision, or presence just shows up sometimes randomly, or maybe some mix of the two. Hmmm, again, food for thought!