2018: BE PRESENT (The Series)
Jan 02, 2018
Well, here we are...the start of a new year, 2018! Like most of you, I am still recovering from all of the excitement of Christmas and New Years, but I also celebrated my 37-birthday on December 27th and hosted a graduation party on December 29th to celebrate the completion of my MBA...I'm exhausted! But we can't sit on our behinds and procrastinate too long, we are in week one of a new year, and it's important to visualize, list and plan for the things we want to accomplish in 2018. May I offer a simple piece of advice before you begin jotting down all those goals (i.e. lose weight, start a hobby, do more of this, do less of that, pay off this, save more that), let's start with a simple idea: BE PRESENT. In the journey to self-love and wellness, learning to be still and content with who you are NOW is at the core of wholehearted living. Being able to be present with yourself opens the doors to being present wherever you are, with whomever you're with, enjoying whatever it is you are doing at the moment.
To begin 2018, we will begin a series on being present and explore practical things we can do to help us better enjoy the life we are living. So often, we think that we will be happy, be enough, be content or be complete when we obtain something, arrive somewhere in life, or achieve something specific. I've read countless books on wholehearted living and the common thread I have found in many of these books is the idea that true happiness isn't achieved with 'things' or by 'achievements'; leading us to think that we are to work ourselves to the ground and (in the process) fail to enjoy what is in the NOW. We sacrifice gratefulness and real experiences of the NOW when are blinded by the pursuit of the things that we think will make us happy. The truth is, having goals is important, but we must master the art of living in the present time if we expect to be able to FULLY enjoy the life we think we will have once we achieve those goals. Reaching our goals will give us a feeling that we strive for, but what if I told you that you could actually live and enjoy that feeling NOW (before you've achieved such goal)...wouldn't you want to experience this sense of wonder today rather than a year from now? Well, it's possible. I've done it. I'm doing it. And so can you.
Let me be very upfront with you: this will be a challenge for most of us because of the hyper-connected, social media driven society we live in. So many of us (myself included) reach for our smartphones anytime we are doing, thinking, or witnessing something interesting - and we feel compelled to share it with the world, whether the world asked for it or not. My appeal to you in this series is to reconsider just how often you reach for that phone as we strive to 'be present' in this lovely existence that we have been blessed with. My prayer is that after this series, we look around and notice just how beautiful, precious and enjoyable your life already is. And by doing this now, our hearts, minds and spirits will be prepared and positioned to fully enjoy the fruit of the achieved goal once it arrives.
It's time to experience life at a higher level. Your presence is requested at the 'dinner party of your life'. Please RSVP and come prepared to share the gift of YOU with the world. Stay tuned.
Love,
Michelle
