The Gift of Presence

Are you feeling good, ready for the week ahead?Or maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed/anxious with a huge to-do list this week. Then you’ve got to apply for that course, so that you can set up that business idea, in order to earn a higher income and have a better life?! Don’t forget you want to travel the world, meet a partner and start a family too ! Sound familiar?We all want and need to set ourselves goals of course. We as humans have things to do and responsibilities to take care of. A huge part of our being is to grow and evolve - but by embracing present moment awareness and concentrating on one single task at a time, we will enhance our focus, minimise the overwhelm and strengthen the connection between effort and outcome. We’ve all heard about the power of now. The brilliant spiritual teacher Ram Dass famously said “be here now” 50 years ago. Yet most of us don’t truly understand the gift of presence. We live in a fast-paced, technology-filled world with numerous distractions at our fingertips. Smartphones, iPads and Netflix constantly trigger us to ignore the moments in front of us – this moment right here and right now. The stresses of work-life balance and emotional struggles like depression and anxiety can make us want to retreat into a make-believe world. It takes strength and focus to be able to feel the gift of presence in your life.But when you realise that your presence is the greatest gift – not only for your friends and family, but for yourself – you gain the power to shape your life experience. Every time you make the decision to have a clear mind and an open heart, you’re embracing the true meaning of the gift of presence. The gift of presence meaning is defined by more than physical presence. We can all think of times when we were “there” physically, but our minds were elsewhere. True presence means that you are deeply, mentally invested in the situation at hand. You are experiencing the entire moment: the temperature, the sounds, the smells and the sights. You are deeply engaged with the people around you or with your activity – and that doesn’t include watching TV or playing on your phone. Your presence is the greatest gift you can give to your loved ones – not flowers or toys. When it comes to your partner, your family and your loved ones, you need to be here now. Love and connection are two of our highest human needs, and the gift of presence is the only thing that can truly fulfill them.Your presence is the greatest gift, because this very second is the only thing that’s real.The future is imaginary; it hasn’t happened yet. The past is a memory, and memories are just emotions. Give yourself the gift of presence, and learn to fully experience life instead of just remembering it or comparing it to someone else online.Real presence is how you keep the spark alive in a relationship. It’s how you show support to your partner. It’s how you build healthy, lasting relationships with your children. A child might not remember what they got each year for Christmas but they will remember the fun traditions, the laughter or the times they felt so loved. Life is full of distractions, and this is by no means an easy task but the more present you can become, the more peaceful and fulfilled your life will be.