The speed of life seems to get faster and faster, so I have found it more important to try to slow it down. The only way I know how to do that is by staying present as much as possible.
When I say, “as much as possible,” I don’t mean that I spend 90% of my time truly present. It’s probably more like 20% most days. But I try.
I catch myself, over and over, thinking ahead or thinking back, when I could be right here, right now.
It’s just like when I meditate. I start out focusing on my breath and, at a certain point, I realize I’ve been planning my next talk for the last 10 minutes. Or I started thinking about whether or not I should cut my hair. Or I realized I didn’t have any bread left and started trying to figure out when I could fit in a trip to the grocery store.
Eventually, I realize I’m no longer focused on my breathing.
When that happens, I bring myself back to the present moment. I breathe in, I breathe out.
Until the whole process starts again.
I know this sounds tedious, and probably useless—but it’s not.
Well, it’s occasionally tedious, but not when you really are in the present moment. That moment is fascinating. So is this one…and this one.
And the more I practice, the more time I actually spend in the present moment, living my life, instead of planning my life or remembering my life.
When I’m with my son but I have no idea what question he just asked me…or I pull into my driveway and realize I don’t remember how I got home…I take a deep breath and notice where I am right now. And stay in each moment as it comes, as long as I can.
If I’m with my son, I focus on him. If I’m alone, I make a conscious decision about what I want to focus on in the next few minutes.
The result of staying present is that I get to smile at my son as he joins me after a day away at school. The result of staying present is that I decide to make a simple supper so we can all play a game together rather than make the new—time-consuming—recipe that caught my eye earlier that day. The result of staying present is I go to bed early so I can get up and exercise, which sets me up for the day.
Staying present allows me to see what’s really important and make better decisions.
Keep trying to do whatever it is you do to stay present: Meditation, journaling, being in Nature, _________________________ (fill in the blank.)
Try anything that helps you stay present in your life, so you get to know yourself and what’s really important to you.
******
For my local peeps, I’ll be presenting Meditation for Busy People in Hudson, NH, in March. For more information, please click here. I hope you can join me.