Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
A common view is that one of the keys to happiness is the ability to be able to remain present. To not worry about the past or the future and instead, focus on and enjoy the present moment. It’s the journey, not the destination, is a common mantra! However familiar we may be with this way of being as an intellectual concept, in reality, it can be easier said than done!
It is also fairly widely accepted that meditation is the tool to calm the mind, allowing us to make choices about what it is we would like to focus upon. Although meditation can be a helpful tool, long hours of meditation and a devotional lifestyle are not required to maintain a state of presence. When present, we are automatically connected to our state of inner peace and love. There are many ways we can create a calm mind and connect to our powerful energy source within.
Practice being present by giving your full attention while:
- Someone who is talking to you
- When you are driving
- Brushing your teeth
- Chopping vegetables
- Breathing
- The senses in your body, what you are: feeling, seeing, hearing, touching and smelling
If your mind wanders while doing any of the following tasks, bring it back and focus on the task at hand. When you start to tune into your mind to the present moment, you bring a sense of quality and peace into your life. Rather than doing things by half measure you will do things consciously. Learning to focus your mind is an important step in learning to let the mind know it is you who is in control and who is making the choices in your life. This ultimately will enable you to transcend the suffering the mind can create. With a clear mind, you will begin to notice the natural order and beauty of life. Next time you look at a tree, really look at it, and you will appreciate how beautiful it is. Next time you are with someone, giving him or her your full attention, without judgement, and you will notice his or her inherent beauty.
With a clear mind, you will begin to notice the natural order and beauty of life. Next time you look at a tree, really look at it, and you will appreciate how beautiful it is. Next time you are with someone, giving him or her your full attention, without judgment, and you will notice his or her inherent beauty.
When you are fully present, you are more aware and intuitive. Presence allows you to feel a genuine connection with people, beyond the intellectual concept. In an intuitive state, you embody compassion, love, and kindness towards yourself and others. You just know things and tune into other people when they are tuning into you. For example, you may telephone someone just as he or she is telephoning you!
Presence allows you to be in conscious contact with The Universal Intelligence Field—connecting you to the power of creation and the field of unlimited possibilities. To be truly empowered and to create the life you desire, once you are in tune with The Universal Intelligence Field, you need to take action about what you are hearing. Your inner voice (which is the same as The Universal Intelligence Field) may be telling you to take a course, changing jobs, finding a new relationship, or develop new skills.
It is possible for anyone to develop presence or live in a state of awareness. In fact, it is very easy because it is the most natural thing in the world (A Course in Miracles, 1975, 64). Our beliefs determine our reality. If we think something will be hard, it is hard. If we think it is easy, it will be.
For thousands of years, many people have had us believe that it is difficult for us to live in a state of expanded awareness, or that you have to go through a series of steps, follow a specific person, that it is only for a chosen few, or if you are special. If you believe this, then that is how it will be for you. However, if you believe that your state of presence flow from within and is always with you and can be contacted anytime, anywhere, just by tuning into your intuition, that will be your experience.
To discover more about presence see: Bliss Every Day eCourse
