“The beauty of life is not found in the past or future.
The beauty of life is found in the present moment.”
—Nancy Salmeron
In a serendipitous encounter, I ran into a friend who is running for office in the June elections. To protect our conversation, we shall call him “Bob.” As he shared stories about the November 2016 elections, I realized how committed he was to his community. He grew up in the Central Valley and has always wanted to make a difference. As he spoke, I realized that he was very passionate about what he was doing. I assured him that he had my vote and that I would be rooting for him. As we concluded our conversation, I asked him what he felt he needed to implement more of during his election campaign that would help him win. He responded that he felt he needed to learn to be more present. He believed that he lacked presence because he had so many deadlines and people to account to. As I listened to him speak, I tried to model being present in our conversation.
As a result of our conversation, I became aware that many individuals do not fully understand what it means to be present. The phrase “stay in the present moment” has been overused by many people like myself who want to be more connected to our surroundings. What does being present mean? Why are so many individuals seeking it? Are we becoming more present? In this encounter, I became aware that true understanding of what it means to be present is required to actually be present. To be present is to not have an agenda or a purpose; it is to just be. When we are truly immersed in the present moment, we don’t tell ourselves that we are in the present moment; we simply are.
“Bob,” I told him, “to be present, you must remember that you should not have an outcome for your interactions with people. You must simply listen attentively. Yes, you may have the intention for the person you are speaking with to give you their vote, but in that present moment you surrender all expectations and let it go. In the present moment, you accept the moment as it is. You are not desiring anything else.”
“Wow,” Bob said. “Being present is not as easy as I thought.”
“Hey, I can coach you!” I told him.
“Maybe you should,” Bob answered.
Today, let’s talk about how life is truly found in the present moment and not in the past or future. Here are some tips on how to immerse yourself in the present moment.
Let go of multitasking.
We take pride in saying that we can multitask. The truth is that human beings are not able to multitask. We stop one activity to do the next activity. To be present you must stay focused on one thing at the time. If you are speaking to someone, focus on what they are saying. To be fully engaged and to stay in the present moment you must be able to not do two things at the same time. The present moment is found in doing one task at a time.
The past is gone.
The present moment is not found in the past. Stay here; nothing else matters. Pay attention to the details of your environment. Look at the sunset, flower, or butterfly. See the details that encompass the beauty of the world as if it was the first time. Whatever happened in the past can not be re-done. It’s done, and you must move on. Focusing on what is gone, keeps you away from the present moment and keeps you a prisoner to the past.
The future is now.
Goals and dreams are important, and we should all have them. Yet, nothing is ever promised. The only moment that we have is now. Yes, work toward your goals every day, but remind yourself that everything is perfect as it is. You don’t need anything from the future to be happy. Find joy in waking up in a cozy bed. Be at peace with the chaos of the busy mornings, and don’t desire to be anywhere else but where you are. Your present is found in your breath. Breathe deeply by inhaling presence and exhaling any anxiety about your future.
When you embrace the present moment, you receive a series of gifts throughout the day. Everything happens in the present moment. Nothing is happening in the past or will happen in the future. Your future is here; your future is now. Embrace the present moment by not desiring to be anywhere else but here. Embrace the present moment by taking deep breaths and reminding yourself that everything is perfect. Witness the beauty around you by attending to everything you see as if it was the first time. Let go of the past and future by realizing that your life is only happening in the present moment. Until next time, Believe. Change. Become!
Sending many blessing and much love your way,
Nancy😊