Being Present Every Day

Posted by Ann Deaton Share Your Voice

Part of being a leader, a leader at any level of an organization, family, or community, is being true to yourself. Another aspect of becoming your best self is to continue to grow. One way that I do that is that this year, as for the past five years, I choose a word to focus on that is my theme for the year. My word is something that I want to stay aware of throughout the entire 365 days, as a way to learn more how to fully embrace it in my life. This year the word I chose was Presence—the act of being fully aware in this place, in this moment. I just looked up presence, though, and the definition does not really capture all that I want for myself. The first definition listed is “attendance”, and for me that doesn’t quite do it. I want to embrace Presence, to fully engage in each moment available to me. That’s what I want this year.

And I am nearly halfway through the year and I find that it’s not easy, this Presence thing. So often my thoughts take me to another place, a different moment –past or future--and Boom! I am no longer present. I have to take a deep breath and pull myself back to this moment now and its gifts. It is important because I know that there is no place I would rather be than here and now, knowing that this Now is fleeting and will never be repeated.

So my challenge this year is huge, and it is bringing incredible gifts. When I commit to being present to each moment, I notice I listen better. I notice the range of my ever-shifting thoughts and emotions.  I notice my excitement about what we are growing with Bounce in empowering the leaders all around us. When I am fully present, I hear the sounds of birds, feel the breeze and the oppressive mid-summer heat even early in the morning. I am aware of my body—how I move, where I’m stiff, the sore spot where I screwed a screw into my thumb last weekend as we built a deck. Instead of putting all these experiences off to the side, in being present I am able to fully embrace each one.

And sometimes I do land on a thought that I want to be present to, to write about, and share with all of you. Today my thought was Presence, and I was grateful to have a chance to reflect on it, and my pursuit of a year of being present. My request of each of you as well is that you each become present to this moment and see what it offers. You may be surprised. 

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Ann Deaton I am a leadership coach, and Managing Partner in Bounce. I love to coach and facilitate with individuals and systems experiencing significant change and growth. The clients I work with, regardless of their age or position, are talented and creative individuals willing to look with fresh eyes at their challenges and opportunities, and to take action based on their discoveries. As a result, they find that they are capable of accomplishing far greater things than they ever imagined. What do you want to accomplish today? Who do you want to be?