Presence…
Yes, there is a whole lot of talk and writing out there that speaks to being in the here and now. And yes, it’s so much of it that it feels a bit stale and has the tendency to go above one’s head. Because after all there is so much to plan, think of, analyze and make sure that there seems to be little room to practice presence.
Which is where we’ve come to - not finding the time to practicing what is quintessentially human.
What I however notice is that there is less and less capacity to live life according to a plan and concept of myself and how my life should play out. I have much more desire to live it from moment to moment and to make decisions based on a momentary sense of what feels good and what doesn’t. The quality and intensity of our times just calls us to reconsider what makes life worthy living and - on a deeper level - what out true potential is as human beings.
This might sound luxurious - don’t we all have obligations and duties to fulfill that don’t allow us to live life more intuitively and aligned with our core beliefs and values? I think there is a key misunderstanding that for too long has divided those that emphasize pragmatism from those that cherish intuition.
Namely that both stances are mutually exclusive.
We live in a world that requires us to earn money, to hold (beloved or not so beloved) jobs, to abide by social rules and norms, to care for one another in a way that different needs are met and so on. All that though can be met with presence, with an intimate sense of our own internal responses (feelings & body sensations), a care for our wellbeing as much as that of others.
Even in the limitations of everyday life, we can base our decisions less on what we think we need to do based on ours and others expectations and more on how we resonate with situations, people, and circumstances.
This is the power of witnessing. It automatically assumes a life less speedy and outward-oriented, so we give ourselves the time and space needed to tap into our feelings and needs.
Tapping into doesn’t require cognitive analysis at all. It simply means to listen to the nod of approval or to the benefit of a doubt. And to follow through with it. This is the end to justification, by the way.
If you think this is no way to live by, just watch children. They are able to live and thrive in momentary awareness for many years.
Awareness, presence, and taking responsibility are two sides of the same coin. They don’t have to compete for our focus. As humans we have the capacity to be incredibly focused. We have the capacity to hold many nuances - different experiences, feelings, body sensations, thoughts etc. We can be present for what is arising without having to respond to our first instincts.
Presence is the missing and underestimated ingredient to making this place a more authentic, peaceful, and creative place. I’ll talk more about its power for our human relationships in an upcoming blog post.