The Artful Practice of Being Present

Being present is easy to say but hard to implement. As men, we love to solve problems and get things done. This often causes us to be somewhere else in our heads when we are with people, which can damage our relationships and our work abilities. If we are somewhere else in our brains, we will often miss things in the moment.

Being present is a skill we can practice and improve. It’s not something that is only for those who have that ability. We can all practice it and improve at it.

When we become more present, we can have better relationships and be more successful in all our endeavors.

Process Your Past

The past is a reality in our lives
Good or bad, we must deal with events of our past or they will affect the present
No matter the past that happened to us, we can’t let it affect the present in a negative way
Bad past events - we relive or live out in an unhealthy response
Good past events - We live in the past and don’t recognize today
We must learn how to process our past and then live in today

Focus on the Now

Living today takes focus and work
We have to decide to live in the present
Be still and know that I am God
This is a reality many don’t get cause they don’t slow down to let God speak to them

Aim Towards The Future

We miss the present when we are so focused on the future
Goals and growth are great and you should pursue them, but their purpose is to align our present
We should not be so focused on the future that we sacrifice the present
The habits of our lives in the present should feed the goals of the future
Goals are there to motivate our present decisions