How to be Mindful and Present
Stay mindful and present! Big buzz words, but what do they mean? I want to share a simple example that has come from my daily practice of the above in the hopes that it will help others to learn what can be gained by staying in the present moment.
Prior to integrating mindfulness into my life, I was always thinking ahead, planning and plotting what would happen next. Worse yet, I was worrying if I made the right decision yesterday or how I might try to fix some future problem. I wasn't HERE! I wasn't PRESENT!
My BFF's and I went to see Pink in concert recently, which was awesome and perhaps one of the best shows I have ever seen. The morning of the show, I started to think about past concerts and things I might have been doing during the performance. Part of the time, I was in the moment, but other times, I was taking photos or videos and posting them on Facebook as they occurred. I would check my phone several times to see how many likes or comments we received. Toward the end of the concert, I started to scan the crowd and plan our exit strategy so that we could get out of the venue as quickly as possible. My mind was busy doing other things; I was not PRESENT.
None of this occurred during Pink's recent performance. I stayed completely in the moment, danced and sang along to her songs with my friends. She rocked it and I was there, taking it all in and it felt awesome! Of course, I took a few photos—we all do—but this was not the focal point of my time at the show. My question to myself now is: When engaged in a special moment, am I more interested in recording it or living it and actively being a part of it? My answer is the latter.
This is just one small example of how finding mindfulness has been cathartic for me. When I am having a special dinner with my family, I am no longer thinking ahead to what we might do afterward or how much cleanup needs to be done from the meal that I have cooked. I am PRESENT and actively engaged in our conversations—this special moment—and this has helped me to find happiness and tranquility each day.
This is powerful stuff, so much so that I am sharing how it has helped transform me to my clients and followers, those interested in finding harmony as well. When I find myself drifting, worrying or projecting into the future, I pull myself back to where I am now, to exactly where my feet are planted at the moment. And I pay attention to the gifts that are right in front of me, acknowledge and appreciate them. For each person, it is different. For me, it is special times with my family, my friends, the laughter, love and being PRESENT.