First thing is first, what does it mean to be present?! Presence is mindfulness. It is in the moment. And not, 'YOLO' in moment, not one of those things that you just forget worries and ignore your feelings and emotions. It isn't one of those 'ignorance is bliss', let me distract myself with fun and enjoyment. It is actually the opposite, it is tuning in, while tuning out.

What does that mean?! It means tuning out the noise, and tune in to the moment. It means tapping in to what is available to you in that moment. Your surroundings, environment, the people, you... in that present state. Tuning out both yesterday's and tomorrow's stresses and worries, and leaving them in where they reside -past and future. It is tapping in to the 'now', drowning out the voices of everything else. It is reading this, without thinking about something else. Reading this, without worrying about yesterday's battles and tomorrow's wars.

Presence is stillness. It is the quieting of the mind. And the beauty of that is that you come to hear yourself, you come to know yourself. You see, presence is shutting everything off, but yourself. It is listening to what the moment brings within you, and not others or through others. It is acknowledging the availability of knowledge and investigation, internally by means of the external. In other words, it's in the moment reflection... most importantly, presence is appreciation. Appreciation for the moment, because we only ever get that moment once, and if we're not present, the beauty of that moment will slip away without notice, yet always with regret.

For lack of presence will bring more regret, then lack action ever could. Granted that, lack of action actually stems of lack presence. Because when not present, we lack choice of action, choice of action that appreciates and acknowledges authenticity... that is, to one's self. Focused on the external, neglecting the internal, not being true to who we are and what situation brings. Ignorant to the fruits of life's offerings. Seeing only what is beyond, rather than what is in front.

And the thing is, you can't ever see what is beyond unless you first see what is in front. So, let's get to it...

Tap In

Where are you? What are you doing? What is going on around you? Who is there? Why are you there? Tap in to your surroundings and environment. What is the intent and purpose of your presence?! That is, your physical presence. What are you there to offer? What are you there to contribute? And why? What are can you gain... learn... take away... love... appreciate? And not in a selfish way, but in a fulfilled one. As it is about what is being presented in the moment, without all the noise. No judgments, no pre-conceived notions, thought patterns or behaviours, it is about the moment. What is the moment?! Nothing else.

Tune out

Quiet the mind. Put a pause on yesterday and tomorrow. Put a pause on thinking. Don't think about the worries, don't think about the problems, the anxiety and the stress. No insecurities, doubts or fears. Just be still. Still in the moment. Feel, focus and absorb. Take all the extra out and allow yourself to tune into the moment. Because the moment says more than the past ever will, as we are ever-changing beings, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. Hence why we must focus on the present, as there is more to learn from it, than the past. For the past is just reference, it isn't truth... but that is a whole another topic.

Bottom line is, we don't find solutions and answers in overthinking and overanalyzing, living outside of the state of being, we find them in the state of being... in the stillness. In the moment of the present. Not analyzing the past and worrying about the future. But tuning out the voice on our head, including those around us, and tuning into the moment -the offerings available, whether good or bad, knowledge to be learnt. As it will give you guidance to its future blessings, but if and only if we actually listen in silence. Because all we have is this moment, and what we make of it. We can't change yesterday, and we can't predict tomorrow, but we can lead the present state to a desired outcome.

For the basic principle of being present is minding your focus. Guiding it and narrating it. One of the most important things about presence that I have yet to mention is, its' significance on the future... its' influence in outcome. Because when we live in the past, we neglect to appreciate the present; and if we live in the future, we are ignorant to its offerings and unworthy of its blessings. So in other words, we risk sabotaging all that is right, for all that wrong, in both the latter and the former. Living inauthentically because we aren't able to align authentically, in harmony with the offerings given, in order to receive the blessings coming.

Ps. Hence why life is such a mess sometimes, because we are too caught up living in the noise, we forget the silence is what carries the answers and the solutions, even the vibe is wrong. We know. We just have to listen. And not to everything else, but to the moment.

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