Be Present, No Matter What
by Hiranya Ishaya
At the core of conscious growth lies the ability to live in the present moment. For most people, this requires practice. If we have lived a whole life away from this moment, paying attention to “right now” takes some practice.
So many things seem to demand our attention: Things that have happened to us, to our family, to the world. Things that are going to happen to us. Things we need to stop happening, things we want to happen. Problems to solve. Relationships to improve. The important stuff - like figuring out what we will have for supper or what lipstick we will wear tomorrow.
All important stuff, for sure, but they all have one thing in common: They aren’t present in this very moment. They aren’t here, and they are not happening now. Thinking about this stuff makes us forget about this moment, it makes us unaware of what is going on right now. It makes us unaware of the gentle, peaceful presence that lies within this moment.
Peace Is Right Here, In This Moment
You can only experience this peaceful presence at this moment. That means the moment you are reading these words. Remembering you were peaceful isn’t the same as experiencing peace now. You need to get out of your head and pay attention to what is right here. You need to pay attention to this moment as it is right now. It is the only remedy.
This is the dance of conscious growth: Practicing coming back to this moment when you notice you are away in your thoughts.
For maximum effect, you do this regardless of what it is that seems to want your attention. You just come back to being fully present here, no matter what.
If you notice you are thinking about something very important, like your exam tomorrow, you come back to this moment. If you are late for a meeting and worry about the consequences, you come back. If you are upset because you fought with your partner, you come back. Simple, but not necessarily easy. That comes with practice.
It is a brave thing to do, to dedicate yourself to being present no matter what. But if you do, you will notice that your life starts to change.
Approach Being Present Like A Game
When you practice this game, you will get better at it. You will experience more peace, more awareness and aliveness. You will most likely experience that your worries weren’t necessary. You will see first-hand that things work out without thinking about them. You will still do things, say things, plan things. But they will happen more spontaneously, and without worrying.
There is a trick to make this easier than it sounds, and that is to not take it seriously. You don’t need to be perfect at this! Let it be a game, a dance. You are not going to master it. You are just going to play with it. Don’t worry about doing it right.
Laugh when you catch yourself thinking about serious stuff. Laugh when you find yourself thinking about silly stuff. No worries. It will happen, and that is ok. Just gently come back to now and enjoy whatever it is bringing to you.
I cannot tell you how good life is from living in the present moment because the whole deal lies in experiencing it for yourself. It is good, though. Really, really good!
