We always have a choice about how we spend our days, we’re either present in the moment or we’re phoning it in. Being present means being engaged in our lives with a deeper awareness about what is going on and the choices we are making. When we’re phoning it in we are faking it, just getting through the days that end up passing by in a blur.

The difference between the two and how they make us feel is immeasurable. When we are present each day has something to offer, each moment has meaning, even the difficult ones. Because being present means that we recognize the value in everything we experience and understand life’s cyclical nature, that the sadness of today will transform into the delight of tomorrow. It means we can enjoy the ride, even when it gets a little bumpy.

Being absent is just the opposite, difficulties accumulate, there is no perspective, and we feel like a victim. This weight adds up over time and can squeeze the life right out of us. One day we wake up and wonder how we got here. We’ve missed out on the beauty and joy of all the small moments of our lives. What’s for certain is that getting by doesn’t get us what we really need.

But the work is proportional and this is the good news. It means the more we focus on what brings us joy and vitality the more chances we have to connect with our inner self and the more we can fully enter into every part of our lives. When we pay more attention to how we feel around certain people or in our everyday situations we come into communion with our authenticity and what we want or don’t want in our lives becomes crystal clear. From here we can make decisions that make a difference and see as well as feel their repercussions. Being present is a call to be fully embodied. It’s not abstract. It’s not a hidden mystery. In fact it’s right there in plain sight, it’s in every choice we make.

All we have to do is open ourselves up to life, embrace it, and engage with it. So keep up the good work or take a first hesitant step and see what happens.

Life is proportional, the more we give the more we receive.

kb