The Power of Being Present
The Power of Being Present
The power of being present can be viewed in two ways – present for self and others. “Others” in this case might be your spouse, child, family, friends, etc. But today is not about other people but yourself.
One of the most difficult questions I have had to ask myself this year is – Am I present enough for myself?
Many times, we do everything everyone wants, and give to every other person but neglect ourselves. As such, we are always on the edge – we are constantly stressed, angry, and maybe depressed.
This is largely attributed to how much time we give or do not give to ourselves. We are obsessed with our work, family, and friends but not as obsessed with our dear selves.
Being present is a state of “wakefulness” in which you are aware and engaged in this moment, just one thing at a time. It is becoming conscious of what is happening within and around you so that you can participate fully in life. It can be thought of as a powerful mental context that allows you to be responsible for your life and make deliberate choices about how to respond rather than simply reacting to events in a preprogrammed way.
Roger K Allan
There is so much talk from modernists on how much time, care, and attention you should give to your relationships. But there is hardly such heavy talk on how much you should give to yourself. Now, this is beyond things like skin care, vacations, and all those beautiful stuff.
I am talking about the concern we give to ourselves. Are you obsessed with yourself so much that you decide what to listen to and what not? Are you obsessed with your happiness that you stay away from unhappy people? Are you obsessed with your growth that you do what is required?
Are you present for yourself also? When you make plans for the month for other people, do you make plans for yourself? If yes, do you keep to that plan? Do you have a routine? Pray every day? Write every day? Read a book every day? Do you intentionally curate how you want your day to look?
Rest assured, there is no way you can give what you do not have. If you are not first present for yourself, you would find it difficult to be present for others. One of the first ways to know if you are failing yourself is when you are constantly worrying about things outside your control or you always find yourself on the edge
Then, the problem is with you and you need to do something about it. ASAP
