On Being Present

Being present means getting out of your head and actually experiencing the world around you.  Most of us go through our day thinking about something else: what we have to do that day, what we’re going to eat for dinner, our plans for the weekend – pretty much anything besides what we are actually doing at that current moment.  Although this type multitasking is often beneficial; I believe that it results in a shallow experience of life.  Sometimes I’ll arrive home from a 30 minute drive to realize that I can’t remember the journey at all.  I don’t want to wake up 10 years from now and have a similar revelation.

So what do you do?  For me, focusing on a simple, minute detail of my environment helps train my brain to slow down and notice things.  For example, sometimes in a crowded place I’ll close my eyes are just listen.  I’ll try to pick apart every layer, every source of sound and focus on it for a moment – give it my full attention.  Other times I will go somewhere quiet, like a park or wooded area.  Being alone in nature has a calming, relaxing effect on the mind.  The absence of evidence of the modern world helps you forget for a moment about stress, deadlines, or insecurities and in turn will turn your focus toward the beauty of the present moment.