A quiet journaling series. Read here to learn more about following along from June 19 – August 28.
When you wash your hands, when you make a cup of coffee, when you’re waiting for the elevator – instead of indulging in thinking, these are all opportunities for being there as a still, alert presence.
~ Eckhart Tolle ~
It’s simple – and not so simple – to stay present with what we’re doing. Like so much in life, staying present requires practice – is a practice. We might have moments of feeling fully present only to get swept away with a deadline for work or some other task. The practice then is simply – or not so simply – to try again.
• Make a quick list of times when you can practice being present (for example: maybe when you wash the dishes, maybe while you brew your coffee or tea, maybe while you brush your teeth). Consider using these moments/activities as quiet touchstones for yourself.
• Choose something from the list you made and imagine yourself in that situation. If you were doing that activity/task right now, what might you be seeing, smelling, touching, tasting, hearing? The next time you do this thing, explore your senses in that moment. Working with our senses is a wonderful way to ground and come center…to be present in a moment. Give it a try.
• Pick one of the things on your list (just one, for now) and, during the coming week, practice being present when you find yourself in that situation. Maybe, if you like, come back to your list and give yourself a little check mark, or a heart, or a star…something to note your commitment to practicing presence.
always the love, m
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Michelle GD 
these quiet moments, I have always filled with thoughts, thinking through, figuring something out, taking advantage of the nooks and crannies of my life. What would it feel like to be present, simply, just? I am in wonderment that it is even possible. What a practice that I need to practice!
I often fill these moments with the thinking and pondering too. But sometimes…yes…just to be present, simply, just. A practice to practice indeed!
after helping our son on his first half of his relocation (drove from PA to OH his inlaws to be drove from OH to IN) I have been trying to be present by making sure I have ample time to do creative projects or to sit and daydream. It’s been a nice restorative week.
Big things in your world, Karen!!
I admire how you honor your creative work and make time/space for it…and for the daydreaming as well. So good. xo
Such a good suggestion for your journal series, Michelle. It is a practice I return to again and again, especially during these past few weeks as I help my mom transition from my childhood home to a condo. It is so easy to get swept up in the stress of the never-ending to-do list which comes with a move while simultaneously trying to be present and attentive to the difficult emotions Mom is going through at this time.
I enjoy Eckhart Tolle’s books and wonder if you ever read Wayne Dyer’s book “Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life”. In it he interprets each verse of the Tao and applies it to our daily life. I use it as a jumping off point to my journaling and have found it has made a big difference in how I approach life.
I love the photograph that accompanies this post. The perfect complement!
Grace xoxo
You have a lot to manage right now, Grace. So good that you’re working to be present when you can…that’ll carry you all far. xo
I’ve not read that book but will definitely look it up. Thank you!
And thanks for the compliment on the photo :) xoxo