Right here..Right now

In the December 2011 issue of Southern Living, there's an interview with Maya Angelou. The writer asked her "how do you celebrate the season?"  Her response: "I try to see every day as a celebration.  I wasn't promised November the 10th.  Nobody has sworn to me that I'll be around December 25th. No. So every day I awaken I am grateful. My intent is to be totally present in that day. And laugh as much as possible."

What does it mean to be totally present?  With our sometimes overloaded lives, how do we start to be present in every moment?  I first heard this concept as a grad student at the University of West Georgia in their Psychology program.  It was here that I was introduced to terms like transpersonal, humanistic, and existential suggesting that there was a deeper and more intimate way to experience life. And, Maya Angelou offered the key word that was heard over and over again: intention.  Intention is synonymous with purpose, goal, and aim.

That says to me that you have to make a conscious decision to be present--look at people when they're talking to you, stand outside to feel the sun and the breeze on your skin, etc. But the simplest way to begin being present is just to do ONE thing at a time. All of you is attending to one thing creating a fuller experience and it adds to the quality of your life!! :-)

But don't just take my word for it. Read what others have to say and begin to practice being present in your life:

5 Steps for Being Present by Michael J. Formica

5 Lessons about Being Present: Freedom is Where My Feet Are by Erin Lanahan

Practical Tips to Practice Being Present by Nneka



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