Being present in your daily life is an experience that you can only describe when you have been in that mental and physical state. When I first learned about being present, the concept did not make any sense to me. The idea of being present sounded strange and I could not connect intellectually and emotionally with the concept. This was because I was living a life where I was rarely if ever present of mind. Understanding presence is like knowing what an apple tastes like if you never ate one. You only know how an apple tastes after you have experienced eating one. Knowing what an apple tastes like is not an intellectual concept, you can only know the flavor of an apple by physically experiencing while eating it.
If being present of mind is an experience you rarely, if ever enter, you must look for signs to understand what mental presence looks like and how it feels in your mind and body. When you understand what being present feels like, you can then ask yourself some meaningful questions to focus on your present experiences.
Here is an excerpt from my book Lose the Weight on your Mind, Body and Spirit that talks about what being present feels like. In the Mind chapter I talk about many mental and emotional burdens that we need to remove to be able to have a clear mind, NOT being present is one of those mental states that block the mind.
“When you are present, you are actively in touch with the moment you are in. Your mind and body are focused on the activity you are engaged in. You are in touch with all your senses and embrace your environment. You can feel the temperature of the air, you can smell the scents in the room and with your eyes see and appreciate the things in front of you. If you are talking to someone, you are not distracted by any thoughts or feelings that are not related to the event or the conversation. In your present conversation, you are actively listening and not planning on what you are going to say next. You are not interrupting the other person trying to express your feelings or opinions. In a present conversation you are focused on what the other person is expressing and not reacting to what the other person is saying makes you feel. You are listening to get to know the person in front of you and your focus is to share the moment together.
When you are present, you are not constantly planning for any real or imagined future event. Being present means you can feel the aliveness of yourself and the world around you.”
Here is an excerpt of a list from the book of other signs to look for that show you are in the present moment:
· When you wake up in the morning, you feel the warmth and softness of your blankets.
· In the morning, your mind is quiet and not thinking about the list of things you need to do for the day.
· Your thoughts do not elicit a negative emotion. Your thoughts are used to plan your next steps.
· When you are faced with a challenge, your mind does not emotionally react, but you become reflective and decide what is the best choice to handle the situation.
· You become the observer of your thoughts and emotions and do not get pulled into negative actions.
· You feel more alive and everything you experience becomes more enjoyable.
So, do you see some signs that you are being present? If you feel that you usually have the opposite experience, then you can start looking for ways to get more present in your life.
Is living a present life easy? NO WAY!! Being Present is a daily and lifelong practice. Join me as we all try to live in the moment every day and in every way!
The practice of being present has many layers and I plan to explore these in my writings.
Best of all there is a BEE Present Podcast that posts commentary and information more regulary related to the monthly theme of the blog posts. This channel on YouTube is a great way to give more insights on how to define being present and how it should look in our lives.
Peace and BEE Present!!
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