Being in the Present

 As I write this, I am looking out the window at blue sky, green trees, shrubs, lawn and a very nurturing landscape. It embraces me – both my mind and physical being. It affects me. It nourishes me. My mood is uplifted by this surround of nature. Such a pleasant piece of life.

That piece of life allows me to feel life more fully. It senses things more acutely. I see things that otherwise I would miss. Being present is basic living. It is breathing and feeling it at the same time, it is smelling the aromas of life and appreciating them (not so much the bad odors!). Hearing life is another dimension making much of communication possible, but sharing culture and music has to be a highlight. Thinking builds many more layers of life. Through it all we see, feel, hear and know so many dimensions of life. Doing this defines presence of life.

And taste! My mother once commented, “the food tastes so good; isn’t the sense of taste wonderful?” That comment has stuck with me for decades. Food is wonderful. It tastes phenomenally well. It transports me to wonderful places and moods.

Getting in touch with our senses expands the impact of life. Life means so much more when we do this. Is this what is meant to be living in the present?

I think it does. But being present is much more than that. It also means opening up to others so we can feel their stress and joy, their problems and challenges. Then we may be able to help them. Then we may be able to react appropriately. To really hear and feel what they are going through.

When we focus attention on our own issues, we are less able to sense the issues of others. Pretty basic. Being in the present means being alert to our surroundings and how they affect the lives of others. The focus is on them, the others, not me or us.

Being present means being focused on what matters in life, not the superficial nabobs of nothingness. It is not easy doing this, but it is essential that we do so.

As Kermit the Frog said, “It is not easy being green.” Yet this means nothing if we don’t hear it and sense it. To relate to it is to know it. Being green or otherwise.

June 16, 2025

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