Power of Being Present
As part of my ‘Power series’, the very first topic that I wanted to touch upon is the ‘Power of being present’. I will like to start with two simple questions for you to ponder upon:
1. On an everyday basis where do you spend most of your time – in the past, in the future, or the present?
2. How many times in a day do you enter the loop of infinite thoughts in your mind?
Just a few years back as part of my odyssey, I came across the concept of self-awareness and gained interest in developing an understanding of myself. One of the greatest revelations through this self-exploration journey was that, most of the time in a day, I was either living in the past or the future. My very first reaction to this realization was – “Wow! I know I have a habit of overthinking; I do feel cluttered and anxious at times, however this is how I have always been and I never realized that I could be anyone different!”
In the words of Seneca “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” Many a times in your life you would have experienced situations where you felt anxious, stressed, and emotionally exhausted and later realized that it was nothing more than a by-product of your imagination and thoughts!
Mindfulness is a practice of ‘being present in the moment’. It helps you feel calm, significantly improves your relationships and helps you feel connected to your own self. If you are constantly immersed in the past or the future and get overwhelmed by distractions and challenges at work or at home, here are some ways which can help you get centered:
1. Declutter your mind everyday by writing all your thoughts on a piece of paper and ask yourself- What is it that is making me anxious?” and “Is there something I can do about it?” Plan the next steps accordingly.
2. It is important to let-go of the past as holding onto painful experiences may not serve you – There are situations and incidents in the past which may have given you pain, sadness and heartache and the question to ask is “How do I benefit by holding onto this past incident(s)?”
3. The most powerful question that has changed my life forever is asking myself “What am I doing right now?” Once you know what is it that you want to focus on, fully immerse yourself in it and forget the rest. You can ask this question as many times in a day as you want to bring yourself back to the present.
4. Practice being non-judgmental – do not assume and fabricate what another individual will say, not say, do, not do till the time you experience their actions in real-time.
5. Do things that make you happy and calm. It could be a five-minute or a one-hour ritual depending on how much time you have. (Nature walking, singing, playing music, spending time with kids, or anything that brings joy to you and in those moments nothing else should truly matter).
6. Abstain from rushing into everything that is happening around you as every notification on your phone or laptop is not a ‘call to action now’, is it?
7. Practice meditation, if possible, for 15 mins or more daily. Else at least practice 2-3 mins breathing during different intervals of the day and see the magic happen. Breathing is a very underrated skill but it has great healing and centering power. I still consider myself a beginner in meditation but I truly enjoy the silence and stillness as I meditate. It is calming and helps me meet my true self, every day. There are multiple videos, books and podcasts on meditation so you research and find out what works best for you. My go-to apps for meditation have been cult.fit and black lotus by os.me.
See the magic unfold as you deepen your personal relationships at home, strengthen your professional relationships as a leader, as a peer, as a team member and experience a new you powered to embrace life! I love the lines stated by Master Oogway in the captivating movie Kung Fu Panda:
Yesterday is History,
Tomorrow is a Mystery,
But Today is a gift and that is why it is called the present!
So be present as the magic is in the moment.
More Power of ‘being present’ to you! 💥
Keep smiling and keep shining🔆
PS: The above thoughts are powered by two great books – ‘Mind Full to Mindful’ by Om Swami and ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle.