Presence is a SuperPower

I often find myself sitting around and watching my children play and wondering how I’ve been so lucky and blessed to have four children. There are times when I’m rolling around on the floor, playing western and being shot, or helping my daughter with her dolls and Barbie’s. Other times, I’m observing them while they play. Those moment are filled with joy and awe. Then, without so much as an inkling that it’s going to happen, my mind catches a thought that floats by and I get stuck on it. That thought may be about work, my marriage, finances, or something I may be interested in and want to learn about (which for me happens all the time). 

But, when I let that thought go and go back to focusing on the present moment, I am back in that feeling of joy and awe. 

There is a practical side to the Three Principles of Mind Consciousness and Thought that oftentimes is overlooked. A big one for me is presence. Or being “conscious” to what is occurring in your real life, not the one in your head. 

So, here is some practical advice. When we are present, our worries and fears and anxieties and stress fall away. We can’t be present and worry, or get stuck on the ideas floating in our heads, at the same time. I don’t care if you are having an in depth conversation with your kids, working out, or washing dishes, be truly present in what you are doing. This is why oftentimes the anticipation of an event is much worse than the event itself. When you are present during the event (I think of court for me) it never seems nearly as bad as we play it out to be in our head. 

Time for some exploration and experimentation. 

Next time you find yourself getting lost in your thoughts, having unwanted feelings from those thoughts, or are simply struggling with being in the present moment, notice it and then get really curious about whatever it is you are doing or experiencing. You’ll find by doing that you will be able to come back to the present moment and have more of those “good” feelings everyone likes. 

Jackson Brown

“Our thoughts are not reality but our reality is created by our thoughts”.