Ahhhhh….S U M M E R !!! My favorite EVERYTHING! The kid’s are out of school, the days are long and warm, and let’s face it, every Summer in the history of Summers has a story to tell.
Every year I tell myself “This Summer I’m going to take it all in, slow down, and make it last!”. And every year I blink and school is back in session and i’m looking at Halloween Costumes wondering what happened to my amazing Summer?
It took me 45-years to figure out how to slow things down and really make each moment, day, and season last. And so far it’s working. My days feel longer allowing me more time to experience all that I love about this time of year. So what is the trick? It’s no trick really….It’s what we were all born doing…
One simple yet super hard thing.
TO
J U S T
B E
P R E S E N T
Yep, thats it! Sound easy enough yet it’s most certainly not. Yet as with anything worth having, with persistence and practice I’m happy to announce that it does get easier.
So how does one create more presence?
- Realize you’re already there. Where are you right now? Turn your focus and thoughts to what you are doing right now.
- Don’t think so hard. You are not the thoughts inside your head, you are not your worries, anxieties, guilt, and other negative thoughts. Have goals, yet let go of the future and the past. It doesn’t serve you at all and only takes you out of the present.
- Be Unselfconscious. When your inner critic comments on your behavior, you’re creating a separation between your mind and body, making it more difficult to live in the present.
- Be a better listener. Focus wholly on the person you’re talking with instead of letting your thoughts wonder to your own problems and worries.
- Accept Pain. This one has been my biggest teacher. When life brings tragedy, open up to feel the pain instead of trying to ignore it or make it go away as fast as possible. This has healed me in ways I never thought possible.
