The Present.

Where Are You? ‘Be here now.’ Baba Ram Dass, Guru, LSD Explorer Have you ever found yourself driving or walking somewhere and, upon arriving at your destination, remembering little or nothing of the journey? How about your lunch today? Do you remember savouring the flavour, smell and texture of your food, or did you consume it on autopilot while your mind was off busying itself with other matters? Let’s be honest, sometimes you can be standing directly in front of somebody who is talking to you, and you’re still not there – instead your attention is focused on what you’re going to say next or perhaps thinking about your own situation. When are you actually here? How often is your attention focused 100% on this moment? A handful of times a day? Once a day? Even less? In a world ruled by the clock and teeming with technological distractions, the quality of your attention is your most precious asset, yet it is often squandered by compulsive thinking in a manner resembling an addict. Your mind has become conditioned to constantly surge with thought, lest you find yourself falling behind or slacking off in some way. Gandhi once said, ‘There is more to life than simply increasing its speed’; your quality of your life should not be measured by the length of time you’re here, but by the depth of the moments you are lucky enough to be here to experience. How well you can accept and appreciate the moment you’re in – no matter how it presents itself – will determine your sense of belonging and oneness with the world. This is what it means to ‘be present’, and it is the essence of being truly alive. When you are completely present, one hundred percent of your energy and attention is at your disposal, allowing you to think more creatively, to be more spontaneous and to be better guided by your intuition. With this level of heightened connection, you are able to access your fullest potential, connecting with others, identifying new opportunities and experiencing breakthroughs in perspective. The discipline of staying present involves consistently reminding yourself not to be distracted by thoughts about the future or the past. You’ve spent years feeding your mind and keeping the furnace fired with thought, so turning this off (or down) may seem impossible. If you aren’t convinced, try taking a shower without planning your day or remembering what happened yesterday; just be in the shower – it’s much harder than you think. If you struggle with this, now is the time to make a commitment to slow down, not just physically but mentally, too, and regain the power that comes when you exercise focused attention. When eating your meal, slow down to savour the aroma and texture and flavour. When in conversation with another, make a conscious decision to quieten your thoughts and give the person your undivided attention. See if you can remove that incessant and unnecessary pressure you task yourself with: to constantly be moving and thinking at light speed. The more you practice redirecting your focus back into this moment, the more it becomes a habit, and the better you get at it. When you notice your mind wandering, try asking yourself, ‘Where am I?’ and gently nudge your attention back into your immediate environment. This does not mean you are not still free to dream, reminisce or imagine, as all of this serves a purpose. It’s the fear, worry and stress that you can do without. By checking in with yourself occasionally and asking, ‘Where am I?’, you are recognizing that you are disconnected from the moment and giving yourself the opportunity to become present again. This is where the most powerful version of yourself always resides. Right here. Right now. The Gift of the Present. ‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow but a mystery. But this moment is a gift and that’s why it’s called the Present.’ Unknown The Present is right now, this very moment. Everything that happens to you does so now. Your entire life is made up of millions of these precious moments, and it is here, in this never-ending stream of now-ness, that you’ll find the key to escape the prison of self-doubt, and the gateway to real freedom. Presence (or being present) is the mysterious quality that often appears to others as magnetic charisma, a warming charm that makes them feel safe. The people you love to spend time with – your friends, your family, your colleagues – are so loved because they allow you to sweep aside past troubles and future concerns, and just be yourself with them. The most endearing quality that anyone can possess is to be completely and utterly present – to surrender to the moment so wholeheartedly that a deep peace from within emanates outwards from you, quieting and calming the world. In this state of grace, your inner connection resonates through to others, and you become a safe harbour for friends and loved ones to come and replenish themselves. When you are present, you are happy – it’s impossible to be truly happy and not be present! The search for happiness is a trick of the mind, with the idea of happiness often being attached to external circumstances or objects, creating an illusionary sense of completeness. We say we’re happy because we won this, achieved that, fell in love, etc. but the satisfaction that comes from accomplishment is only ever fleeting and will quickly need to be replaced or topped up. Real, soul-satisfying happiness comes from feeling as one with life – when you stop resisting and allow our natural state of joy to resonate through us. You’ve likely experienced these moments before; they are hard to forget as they sear into your memory. When you felt this depth of contentment, it was because you switched off your thinking mind and therefore had become vitally present. In this heightened state of awareness, your intuition speaks to you clearly, enabling you to make decisions with certainty and conviction. Taking a leap of faith becomes easy when you do not fear the future; after all, the future is simply going to be another present moment for you to befriend. When connected to the moment, you instinctively want to help others. You feel compassion and understanding for those you may have once judged harshly. You strive to create unity and connection over mistrust and separation that may otherwise exist. Like when a stone is thrown into pond, the ripple effect resonates out to others, giving them permission to be themselves, to be real. Your presence is most certainly a gift to yourself, to others and to the world. The Only Dance There Is. ‘Nothing is more precious than being in the present moment. Fully alive. Fully aware.’ Thích Nhất Hạnh, Vietnamese Buddhist, Peace Activist, Speaker of Seven Languages. You were born present, and your natural state of being is calm, generous and loving. In this state, you feel comfortable and secure, with the absence of fear and self-doubt allowing you to enjoy more laughter and a general lightness of being. You may experience this feeling when on vacation, or when you’re in the company of good friends or loved ones, or perhaps when indulging in your favourite outdoor activity. But life has a way of messing with your mojo; you get stuck in traffic, your partner criticises something you’ve done or your boss decides that those 8 hours of sleep you enjoy so much could be better spent at the office. If you’re not mindful, it’s easy to become defensive, surrender your calm and slip into a very negative headspace, leaving you upset, uptight and in pain. Spiritual guru (and former Harvard professor) Ram Dass speaks of this in his book The Only Dance There Is. He says, ‘Everything you do, whether you’re cooking food or doing therapy or being a lover, you are only doing your own being, you’re only manifesting how evolved a consciousness you are...that’s the only dance there is.’ Here, Ram Dass highlights the importance of focusing our attention and energy not so much on what we are doing