What Does it Mean to Be Present?

To be present means more than just being. To be present means that you are mentally and physically in the moment. A lot of times you get caught up in the moment and just let your future keep you from focusing on today. You even dwell on your past, preventing you from enjoying the moments that you’re currently living in. There are three stages of being present:

Being Present With Yourself

You spend a majority of your life trying to discover WHO you are and WHERE you should be in life. Should you be further ahead in your career? Should you be in a more serious relationship? In order to be present with yourself, you have to be content with your current place in life. You cannot compare yourself to others. The situation you are in right now, may not be the best but it could be worse.  “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

A way to work on being present with yourself is self-love. You must know your true value and have a true appreciation and respect for yourself before being present in any other form. The danger of self-love is that it will radically change your life forever, for the better.

Being Present With God

Find your peace and stick to your journey. The journey that God has already written for you, is for YOU. Be confident in your faith and God’s work in your life. “Godfidence” is everything. Find a time out of your day to be thankful for the things you’ve overcome that you never thought you’d ever be able to surpass. Center yourself with prayer. Talking to God does not always have to be a list or an elaborate sheet of prayers. Thank God for the little things. If you want to strengthen your relationship with God, speak to him often. Because at the end of the day…what’s a relationship without communication?

Being Present With Others

Although you might be physically in a location with your friends and loved ones, you might not be there mentally. Take in the presence of others around you. Just because you’re with someone physically, you must also be able to connect with the mentally. Sitting beside someone isn’t being present. Interact with them, take in their opinions, share experiences with others and you might be able to learn something.

Think about these three stages whenever you feel like you’re beginning to doubt yourself. Think about these stages when you’re feeling like you’re further from God or your loved ones. There’s no way to perfectly perform in life.

Photo Credit: Thumbnail, Twitter,  GetMeditable

• live your best life
• mental health
• presence
• spirituality