A Present Life
when was the last time you watched a sunset?
A couple of months ago I wrote an essay on changing the outlook of my day from negative to positive. I’ve since sat with this thought a lot, and honestly before then, wondering what it means to be present.
So many of us live our lives on auto-pilot, going through the motions, half aware of the life we’re living. It’s an easy loop to fall in to, especially when you’re in survival mode. Especially when the world feels like it’s on fire. You get up, do your morning routine, ship the kids to school, head to work, eat, come home, eat some more, evening routine, sleep. Rinse and repeat.
But how often do you step back in those moments to look around? Do you notice the way the sun casts shadows against your walls in the afternoon with the setting sun? Have you really tasted your coffee without distraction or guzzling it down? Did you listen to your child’s morning voice, rough from sleep? What does your clothing feel like, is it soft? Rough? What sounds do you hear when there’s no background noise? What do you smell?
There’s an infinite amount of questions I could ask about your life. But how are you seeing it? Did the commute wear you down yet again? Or did you make up stories for the people in the cars next to you? How is their day going? Did they cut you off because they’re equally as excited to get home to their family? Maybe, maybe they’re just a jerk, but that’s for you to decide.
Moments slip by easily, like sand between your fingers. And by the time you realize the grains are on the floor, it’s too late to start trying to catch them.
I’m guilty of this as well, but I’m trying to be more aware. I’m working on that step back. Before I say no to my kids, I take a breath, is this something I can say yes to or am I saying no out of overwhelm? Instead of listening to a podcast while I do dishes, I sit with my thoughts, with myself. It’s honestly when I get most of my ideas.
I’m currently working on a poem about that—about sitting with myself—and it’s helping me realize how much I use noise as a crutch to fill in the space, avoiding being fully present with my life. How long have I done this? Why do I do this? Is my life not worth being present for?
In today’s world, it’s easy to put the blindfolds on, to stay so busy that you don’t have time to sit with feelings, with thoughts or anything that makes you uncomfortable. But life isn’t meant to be comfortable, it’s meant to be real. This is the only life you get, that I get, why would we waste it constantly filling space?
I’ve had times where I’ve experienced an event entirely through my phone, so hellbent on capturing the moment that I actually forgot to live in it, only to look back and realize no real memory was made. I have photos, but I can’t recall how it made me feel, what the atmosphere was like around me.
I think it’s something we could all stand to have more of. Presence. Not just with those we love, but with ourselves. Every year we change, we grow, we learn new things along the way. We grow into different versions of ourselves just as much as our children, our partners, our friends and family. It all deserves a certain amount of our awareness. Our lives are worth our attention.
Sure, some days you’ll run on habit, just getting through when you need to survive. The podcast will play when you’re doing dishes because it’s the only twenty minutes you have free to enjoy something for you. You will catch up on a show over lunch, or fill the quiet with music that calms you.
But if you can, I challenge you to step back, to look at the dust glimmering in the morning sunlight, to taste your food and feel your clothing, to sit with your thoughts long enough to see what they’re trying to say. Memorize the way you look right now, the way those you love look, because it’s constantly changing.
And I don’t mean this to fear monger or guilt trip anyone, I know as much as you that there are days where things will consume us, and it doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate what we have. I mean it in a sense of awareness for the one life you have. If you can, let that thought truly sink in, because even if you believe in reincarnation, this is still the only life you get to live as the person you are right now.
On the days you feel strong enough to do so, take that step back from the chaos, find a moment of peace and sit with it. Sit with yourself. Ask yourself hard questions, ask easy ones, watch a sunrise or a sunset, remember how it makes you feel. I promise you, you won’t regret taking the time to enjoy those little moments.
Because at the end of the day, you’re the one in charge of your happiness—make sure you create it well!
Thank you for spending some of your time with me today, I’m so glad you’re here!
Until next time ✌🏻
💭 What is your favorite way to be present in your life?
Here is the article I mentioned in the beginning of this essay.
in a world where everything moves fast and a moment of your attention is worth more than gold, there’s something so liberating about slowing down, paying attention, and being present. we’re all distracted all the time, sucked into constant streams of entertainment, but it’s crucial to sit in quiet when you can. this was such a lovely reminder. thank you.
This brought the softest smile to my face Rion. I think that's a good way of describing my interactions with you. This kind of energy is very needed right now. I know I need it ❤️