It took awhile to come up with this post but since the beginning of the year, I knew the one word that I would like to be my guide for 2018. I’ve chanced upon this word several times late last year during meditation, and I must agree, it best signifies how I would like to live my life this year. It ought to be “be present” but since that clearly violates the concept, I settled for present.
Present is an adjective that connotes {of a person} in a particular place. The word is synonymous to:
- in attendance
- here
- nearby
- {close/near} at hand
- available
The word also means existing or occurring now and is synonymous to current, present-day, or existing. I thought both meanings are applicable.
As always, I would love to be present in the here and now. Be present whilst life unfolds before me as life is way too short. If I am elsewhere, I will be missing a lot of what’s happening in the present, its simple pleasures, its simple miracles. Much like this photo I took earlier today. If I was preoccupied as usual and not in tune in the present, I wouldn’t have noticed this beautiful butterfly circling in my plants this morning, perhaps visiting her birthing place. It was probably the same caterpillar that feasted on my calamansi plant not too long ago, and took one of its little branches to cocoon itself, biding its time to become what it is today. Don’t you love the details on its wings?
Now more than ever, I would like to be present for my little man 100%. He isn’t young for much too long and as days unfold, I notice many changes in him, indications that he is, indeed, maturing and growing up. Sooner than later, he’d have his own concerns, his own lists of things-to-do, his own itinerary, so I would like to make the most of the time when I am the center of his universe as best I can. It was really ironic and sad to realize that being a good mother would render us obsolete in the lives of our children, but I guess that’s how life really comes full circle. I am not ready to let go just yet, I still have a few more years, after all. So whilst I can, I will continue to be there for him each time he needs me and work on building up on his core memories, hoping that wherever life takes him when he gets older, he will always remember the good and the not-so-good times we had together and that he will prefer to have me beside him every step of the way. {Yes, I did cry a bit whilst writing that bit! 😥 }
I also aspire to be present in each role I play in life ~ a mother, a partner and spouse, a sister, a friend, a blogger, a confidante, a colleague, or a neighbor. I know that each role, no matter how minute my impact might be, is designed specifically for me, and that I am exactly where I need to be at the moment. I only need to be more open and more present in each of these moments .
I believe that being present not only gives you the most of each experience but also allows you to learn the most out of every circumstance. I guess our nightly meditation is working to my advantage as slowly I am learning to live in the here and now, not distracted by the echoes of the past or the looming worries of the future. I am a work in progress and I hope that one day soon I will be able to practice being present to the best of my abilities. If you would like to practice meditation in your sweet time, I suggest you download the Oprah & Deepak 21-Day Meditation Experience app, they periodically offer free meditation lessons, or you can always try those meditation samples readily available. Doing meditation is now part of our bedtime routine and the little man cannot sleep without it. I know it might take awhile before he fully appreciates how important it is to practice daily meditation but I am hopeful that I am starting a good habit in him as we meditate on each Sanskit mantra every night.
I sure hope this word will be my guide in whatever little thing I do this year and to make the most of 2018. What is your One Word for this year? I would love to read all about it in a comment below.