The Gift of Being Present

It's the 10th edition of "Let's Talk!", 10th edition!! This is a milestone for me because this newsletter has helped me stay consistent with my overall content creation goals and I have truly enjoyed writing each edition with a lot of joy! I also hope you've had as much fun reading along too!

It is only apt to talk about "Being Present" as this edition's topic - because that's exactly what led me to be passionate about creating content on this platform without worrying about the metrics or the fact that I have never written so regularly before!

Being Present or being in the moment is not something I'm known for - I am in fact synonymous with being a worrier - often dwelling in the past or being anxious about the future... So for me - this began as an experiment more than anything else. An experiment because it didn't come with the heaviness of "having to inculcate this habit" or "I must get better" - maybe that's exactly what makes it easier to practice it!

My Main Learnings

I initially started off by practicing this during vacations or holidays because I didn't want anything or anyone to disturb my precious time off. I believe this served as motivation enough for me to truly enjoy the moment, not plan every second, and manage to keep my mind blank while also enjoying every moment. My learnings are basically just the dominant emotions experienced during the time:

1. Relief: because for the next couple of weeks I needn't go anywhere near a laptop! But also because there was no rush to get to somewhere, no haggling with cabs, no running against the ever-looming deadlines. Relief flooded me the moment I stepped on that plane.

I made it a point to unplug from my emails or literally any form of communication for that matter. I thought I would be anxious to not know the trending instagram reel was that week - but instead I was relieved. The pressure to keep up was OFF!

2. Freedom: Being in the present is all about not thinking back to the past or looking ahead to the future. While both are great things to do every now and then - it can't be a constant state of mind! When I realised this, I felt free!

I was then able to revel in that freedom, I never thought anything beyond where would we be going for our next meal. I didn't worry about the weight I put on and on a number of days where we were involved in a specific activity like snorkelling or off-road biking ..the only thought was to survive it and come out of it alive! You have no choice but to "be present" then :P

3. Joy: This was probably my reaction to the whole vacation, maybe? But it was also that I let myself be someone I've always wanted to be! And that's when it hit me - it really was that simple -

Today we are the version of ourselves we envisioned a while ago!

This is when I realised that being happy or joyful is actually quite under our control. More so than we think - and it all comes down to feeling alive in the moment.

How can we practice "being present"?

I'm no expert, but I can share some simple techniques that have helped me personally. Of course, when you google "tips for being mindful" you're going to get all of the typical results. But, here's what really worked for me:

• Baby steps as always - I didn't start off by practicing mindfulness in every aspect of my life. I started off where it was the easiest - while vacationing. I've slowly extended it to other aspects too - like actively listening to someone when they speak, not looking at my phone when I am watching a movie and make it a point to write notes when I'm learning something so that my mind is active & present.
• Avoiding Spirals - Whenver my thoughts spiral into a whirlwind of negativity or "what ifs" I voice it out loud to my partner or friend and they're kind enough to point out the "what has been" going well for the same topic! You can also use other techniques like journaling to avoid spirals but speaking to someone has worked better for me.
• Movement helps - Any kind of regular physical movement helps in keeping your mind tuned in. You learn to focus on the one thing at hand - whether it is lifting weights or going on a run without panting.

Remember, your journey is your own!

Comparison has killed more dreams than fear ever has!

Remember that everyone's journey is different and being present is all about being tuned in with yourself and being the best version you can for those around you! Doesn't matter if someone is better at it than you are - you will probably get better when you stop comparing and focus on actually getting better! You will realise the joy & happiness tied to being present as opposed to being tuned out and off-sync from the situation around you! How have you managed to stay in the present? Share your thoughts below!