Life is a gift, be
utterly present.
(Truth be told I
wanted to add expletives here, just to stress the importance of this simple
statement!)
As I eliminated
distractions towards the end of last year, my perspectives shifted. Instead of
viewing the year as a shitty one, I could now see it as a refining one.
So many lessons (some
painful) in just 365 days!
One layer removed,
another exposed…
Over the past four
years or so, I have dug in deep on my journey to delayer my lifetime of busyness.
What has struck me is how busy is simply most people’s “normal.” So normal that
they don’t question it. It is socially acceptable, glorified and often seen as
a trophy of success.
When we are busy being
busy, we become good at talking the talk but avoiding the walk. Literally, we
don’t create, allow or make time to walk with others. I know it, because I did
it.
The urgent becomes
important and the important is sometimes left to wayside under a pile of “I
need your attention & I need it now!”.
We say we are about
people, yet we are too busy being ABOUT people we forget to connect WITH
people.
PRESENT // adjective : 1. In a particular
place. In attendance, attending, here, there, near, nearby, at hand, close, adjacent, available, ready.
Wherever you are,
whatever you do, are you close, available and ready?
Or are you blinded by
a mountain of to-do lists that make you oblivious to the trails & triumphs
of the people around you?
Multitasking is a
myth. Your brain cannot truly focus on more than one thing at a time. You
choose your focus.
To be present requires
SACRIFICE, (you cannot do everything,) COMMITMENT, (let your yes be yes and
your no be no,) & SAYING NO (Learning to say no is crucial & key & others will not like it!) It
does not require perfection, procrastination or people pleasing.
True friendship and
connection comes from being present in the mundane as well as the magnificent. Walk
alongside others in the depths of their valleys up to the highest mountain peaks
and back again.
Relationships are made in the moments, celebrated in the magnificent & maintained in the mundane.
“Today is a gift”
These words are not just a nice thought to have, a sentiment to speak, or a comment
to write beneath a pensive picture on instagram. They are words we actually
NEED to TRULY live by and realise that right now, this moment, this day, is
literally all we have.
Don’t wait for “one day”
to celebrate, don’t wait for “one day” to make family a priority, don’t wait
for “one day” to take that holiday, make that change, start that business, write
that book, love that person, deepen that friendship, take that rest. And don’t wait for “one
day” to create time for those you love the most. The greatest gift you can give others is your presence. Your undivided attention. (Yes, this means putting down your phone & looking them in the eye!)
Don’t save your “ONE days”
and don’t waste your TOdays!
Be utterly present …
In life
In marriage
In loving
In creating
In mothering
In fathering
In celebrating
In friendships
In seeking beauty
In speaking joy
In the magnificent
In the mundane
In change
In rest
In still
In all
Wherever you are,
whatever your season, be utterly present. Because before you know it, that
moment will pass & never return. Grow, change, learn, become.
No moment is insignificant, don’t let
distractions blind the significance of now.
Embrace the beautiful
imperfections of the present.
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