Hari Om
Each 'Choose-day' we will investigate the process by which we can reassess our activity and interaction with the world of plurality and become more congruent within our personality.
As seen yesterday, we are going back over the word-prompts of the last fortnight of 2017. Some of them will definitely have prompted Vedantic thought process, but others might be less obvious. The second word given was 'PRESENCE'.
A key component of dealing with life more on one's own terms, rather than having the terms dictated, is to maintain a presence of mind. All successful people will list among their skills, the ability to be available to every moment of what is going on around them. There is also the ability to focus on individuals and make them feel valued. One can only do this if one is feeling secure oneself.
Frequently we are not present in the moment because we are busy (even unconsciously) with thoughts. Thoughts of what happened in the kitchen ten minutes earlier, thoughts having been triggered by a childhood trauma, thoughts about whether we switched the iron off before leaving for work in the morning, thoughts about the next task we need to be getting on with and thus losing our focus on the task in hand… there are many, many reasons we don't stay in the here and now and it all comes down to our mental condition. What is more, we have become so accustomed to it, that we do not realise that thoughts are merely objects of the world, albeit highly subtle ones, and we - the core, essential, being in charge - can arrange them exactly the way we wish in order to be available to the moment.
Sometimes, if we are lucky, we might find ourselves in the company of someone who truly has 'presence'. It is called that because we are aware that they are completely focused on 'being here'. They are not distracted, they are not agitated, they are secure in their knowledge and ability but without showiness or arrogance.
Being present cuts away all the 'what ifs' and 'why not' of a situation. Instead, clarity reigns, and can even come with the ability to pre-empt things. Presence is full, attentive awareness. From today, will you choose to be 'present'?
