Life is short!
Watching the news is depressing. The incredible surge of tornados this year is creating havoc in the Midwest. With just minutes warning the funnel cloud can change your world and take your life. It can also take the life of anyone you love. What this means is everyone would benefit from really learning to live in the present. We all say we live in the present but what does that really mean?
Are you present when you are talking to someone and thinking about what you are going to say next? No you are in the future. Are you present when you are thinking about what occurred to lead up to the circumstances you are in? No you are in the past. The only time you are present is when you are actually fully engaged in what is happening at the very moment that you are in. This is not easy to do.
I had a spiritual teacher at one time that gave me an exercise to do to practice being present. He said get in your car and drive staying present. If you are like most people, the minute you enter your car and start the engine , your mind goes elsewhere. To practice being present in your car it goes something like this. I am opening the door, sitting in my car, putting on my seatbelt, putting the key in the ignition. I am now looking in the rear view mirror, turning the key to start the engine and putting the car in gear while stepping on the gas. At most its an effort to stay present like this for one minute.
What I have discovered is that with practice I can stay present in my car for a minute or two. I have to keep reminding myself that I am present. So what is the value in really being present? It allows us to experience the moment that we are in. The value in presence is control. When you are present with another person, that person has your full attention. In relationship it is seductive, attractive, almost mesmerizing to have someone place their full attention on you. It is a gift that you can give to anyone.
Ultimately it is desirable to be present as much as possible so you don’t get to the end of your life and say what happened? Too many people live their life on automatic. Are you living your life on automatic? Avoiding unpleasant things by pretending they don’t exist? Putting off stressful things to tomorrow hoping they will go away? Don’t do it. Choose to live today. Choose to create possibility in your life. If you are alone and lonely, choose to meet some new people. If you are in fear about anything, just do it anyway. Life is short, if you want some help staying present and getting what you want, I can help.