The Power of Presence

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Thanks,
Claudette Rowley
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The Power of Presence

This month I would like to share with you a powerful way of
being that I've practiced over the past few months: being
present in each moment. Being present means being aware or
conscious of what's going on inside of you, and allowing it
without judgment. This level of consciousness gives us
full freedom to be who we are. It also brings a tremendous
sense of inner peace.

How do you know when you're present?

You know you are present when you feel at ease with
yourself. There's no underlying tension, your mind isn't
chattering on in judgment of you or someone else. You are
also present when you ALLOW a moment to be as it is. For
example, you notice that you have a story in your mind
about a situation. And you observe it as a story not as
truth. Or you feel a negative emotion and you notice that
without judging it. You stay in the moment of whatever you
are feeling.

What stops us from being present?

Reviewing the past and projecting into the future. Many of
us spend half of our time ruminating about the past and
reliving our emotions about it. Then based on what we've
experienced in the past, we project into the future about
circumstances that may never occur. Our mind makes up
fear-based stories that catapult out of the present and
into a made-up future. In other words, we end up resisting
the present moment in fear of what the future might bring.

Let me clarify: By future projections, I mean imagined
scenarios that cause emotional strain, such as "What if
this happens or that happens?" versus planning for the
practical matters of life, such as scheduling your October
vacation. Another way of thinking about this is
psychological time which always causes fear or strain
versus the time we keep by clock which we use to organize
the practical matters of life.

What are avenues for being present?

Observe. When you notice that your mind has made up a story
about the past or the future, simply observe it.
Observation of the story will bring you right into the
present. After a while, you'll start to notice that you are
not your story, and that two separate entities exist: you
in the present and your mind with its story.

Allow. Allow whatever is in the moment to be there. It is
what it is. Once you begin observing and allowing, you'll
notice how often you resist the moment you are in. That
resistance keeps you in your head and out of the present.

Here's an example of the distinction between allowing and
resisting. At times when my nine month old son is cranky
and I'm frustrated, my natural reaction is resistance. In
other words, I want the moment to be different than it is,
which creates stress. Those times that I've allowed the
situation to be what it is, I felt present and experienced
peace.

Once I've become aware of my resistance to what's occurring
- I'll often experience it as physical tension - I'll say
to myself, "I don't like this moment." or "I'm noticing
that I feel frustrated and impatient." Simply observing and
allowing what I experience brings a conscious level of
awareness.

We each have an inner peace and freedom that already exists
inside of us. Our job is to release the muck surrounding
it, and reclaim as our own. Stay present by ALLOWING
what's there to be there. Then you can accept it, change it
or talk to someone about it. By spending so much time in
the past and the future, we often resist the gem that's
right in front of us.

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Claudette Rowley, coach and author, helps professionals
identify and pursue their true purpose and calling in life.
Contact her today for a complimentary consultation at 781-676-5633
or claudette@metavoice.org. Sign up for her free newsletter
"Insights for the Savvy" at http://www.metavoice.org.