Wednesdays on Whidbey: Imagine How to Be Here Now as a Radical Gift of Presence

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. Recently, my dear friend and fellow Camino pilgrim Dennis Pitocco posted an essay entitled Why Is Presence the Most Radical Act of Love? Click HERE to read that essay and HERE for more of his thought-provoking pieces on Exploring Our Shared Humanity, his Substack banner.    The gist of the essay is that our mindful attention to another is a radical gift—so rare as to be almost extinct. What does it cost us to be mindfully attentive to another? Nothing apart from putting aside our self-centeredness and shifting into whole-heartedness. This change in behavior cannot be legislated into practice, like requiring the wearing of seatbelts in a moving vehicle. It does require a shift in us, in a culture that has all too easily been swayed by the siren call of the swipe on a handy device.     Here’s a favorite paired exercise I’ve used for decades while teaching my story skills courses. Each partner is asked to spend one minute talking about something neutral, like their name following a prompt. The listener’s job is to listen—with appreciation. When asked, “How did it feel to be listened to uninterrupted, for 60 seconds?” the responses are universally the same: I felt seen, heard, understood, listened to, calm, present, significant, smiled upon, and valuable. All that from 60 seconds of presence. And the intention to Be. Here. Now. Imagine if we could make the time to offer another the gift of our whole-hearted presence. We might turn fear into love, conflict into solutions, isolation into relationship, and more as we can imagine it all taking shape in ourselves, our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities. My teacher, the Venerable Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh taught four mantras to help change us and change others: 1. Dear one, I am here for you. 2. Darling, I know you are there, and I am so happy 3. Dear one, I know you are suffering; that is why I am here for you 4. Dear one, I am suffering. Please help. Imagine if someone said these words to you with the intention to Be. Here. Now. Imagine if you could ask for help from another—and receive it to ease your suffering. As I write this podcast episode I’m reminded of the song, Imagine by John Lennon. Click HERE to listen to him in 1975 Click HERE to read the lyrics of the song, Imagine CTA: Having been fortified to give it a go to Be. Here. Now. do so. First for yourself and then another. And another. And another. Imagine what might happen next.     YOU'RE INVITED: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread this episode  with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! STOP BY my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction.  EMAIL ME ---> [email protected] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call STAY CURRENT with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on SUBSTACK. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Entering Erdenheim by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.