The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers. Thich Nhat Hanh
We get so busy in our lives we often forget to be present. We forget to slow things down for ourselves and when we don’t make time to do that, we are rarely able to offer our undivided time and attention to anyone else.
It is easy to be distracted by everything surrounding us. We have machines and gizmo’s aplenty offering ways to constantly distract us. But it seems in doing so, we are missing something so incredibly important…our time spent with ourselves and others. Being present and making time to connect with those around us is something that’s truly irreplaceable and affects us on a deeper, more soulful level.
We all have a need to connect and giving or receiving our undivided time and attention to another person is a true gift, for everyone involved.
It is rare, these days, for people to come together without a cell phone, blackberry or other device ready to alert us to other things or people also looking for our attention. And, because of the busy nature of our culture, when we do make time for someone, we are distracted by what is happening elsewhere or our interaction is overshadowed by the task we just left, the one we’re off to do later, or lingering thoughts from other events. But what is this costing us in our personal and relational lives? Everytime we interrupt our interactions with others, it prevents us from really connecting which is something we all need.
Thinking about creating time can sometimes feels stressful because we haven’t taken the time to be present in our own lives first. But when I give myself the time to be present and then take that to someone else, the rewards and benefits are so great, I often ask myself why I don’t do it more often. And not only do I enjoy it more, but I then carry that renewed sense of self and energy back to my other tasks and find it easier to be present there too.
I have recently been reminded of the gift of connection and being present with people and it’s easy to be prsent. It can be hours of conversation with a friend over tea, going on a date with my loved one, playing a game with my children, or it can be just taking a moment or two, in a store, to ask the clerk how their day is going and really listening while they answer. Each time, it provides me with a little more sense of calm and delight and it enriches me in unsuspecting ways.
I encourage you to spend a little time this week really being present. Our relationships can all benefit from more undivided time and focused attention. A lot of conflict would be alleviated by taking more time to listen and connect with the people in our lives because we all need and love connection with others.
How often are you really present with yourself and the people in your life?
