To me,
Being present in the moment is the key to life.
Which sounds flippant,
But I truly have come to believe that at the deepest level.
Maybe this is TMI,
But years of counseling,
Many books and courses later,
That is what I've come to believe at the deepest level.
Being present in the moment is the solution,
Really no matter what the problem at hand might be.
Being present is especially important for anyone in a leadership role.
And I mean leadership in the widest sense possible.
I had corporate leaders like myself in mind.
But leadership isn't a title,
It's a mindset and an attitude.
And anyone can and likely is a leader.
Whether you're a parent,
Someone active in a community,
Or whether you have an official leadership title.
In fact,
If you're a parent,
Being present is arguably the most important thing you can do.
As the saying goes,
Showing up is half the battle.
While I'm generally not a fan of idioms that reference violence,
This one does fit.
Many think that this means showing up physically is what's important,
Or maybe the hardest part.
And while that may be true,
I've always interpreted this to mean that being present is the most important step towards achievement of any kind.
Showing up mentally to this moment is what matters.
It is so simple,
And yet so hard to do.
Why is that?
My theory is because most of us are deeply uncomfortable with simply being present.
There are entire industries built around distracting us from the present moment.
Think about the massive entertainment industry,
From games on your phone to movies for example.
Isn't entertainment ultimately an escape from our actual current reality?
And don't get me wrong,
I enjoy a good show or a mindless game as much as the next person.
But most of us are constantly trying to distract ourselves from being present without even realizing that's what's happening.
And that's a shame,
Because it's in those moments of presence where the real magic of life happens.
Have you ever just sat and watched your kids joyfully play on the playground?
Then I think you know what I mean.
And similarly,
If you're in a traditional leadership role,
Have you ever felt a genuine connection with a team member because you were actually really present in a one-on-one meeting,
Not multitasking,
Not also doing some emails,
Not mentally checking off the meeting and thinking about what's next?
Again,
Almost magical.
They feel heard and understood,
They feel supported,
And you realize that you can have a positive impact on someone's work or maybe even on their day in general.
If you want to become a better leader,
A more intentional leader in any context,
Being more present lays the foundation for it all.
It will help you remain calm when things get hectic.
It will help you make clear-headed decisions even under pressure.
And it will improve your relationships with your team,
Or really with anyone.
One of the best ways to come back to the present moment is to focus on your breath,
And that's exactly what we're going to be doing next.
So if you're not already,
Find a comfortable seated position with your arms relaxed by your side.
You can have your hands in your lap if you like,
Or on your legs.
Now close your eyes,
Or lower your gaze.
Allow your face to soften,
And your shoulders to relax down and slightly towards the back.
Now start to observe your breath,
The inflow and outflow of air.
Feel the cooler air enter your nostrils,
And notice how the air exiting has been warmed by your body.
Feel your belly expand gently with each inhale,
And contract gently with each exhale.
Feel your chest rise with each inhale,
And fall with each exhale.
There's no need to change your breath in any way,
Or control how you're breathing.
Just observe.
Your body knows what to do,
Without you needing to do anything.
You are free to just observe and enjoy the moment.
There's no need to change your breath in any way.
Remember,
Just breathe.
And if your mind starts to wander,
Which it inevitably will,
Just gently bring it back to your breath,
And to the sound of my voice in this track.
Just keep noticing your breath flowing in and out.
If your mouth opened,
Just gently close it,
And allow the breath to flow in through your nostrils.
Relax your face.
Relax your shoulders.
And just breathe.
Slowly and gently.
There is no effort involved.
You don't need to pull or push the air in.
Just let it flow naturally.
In,
And out.
Chest rising,
And falling.
Belly expanding,
And contracting.
Feel the air come in,
And go out.
Just breathe slowly and deeply.
Lovely.
I hope you've enjoyed this breath awareness exercise.
And if thoughts came up,
Please know that that is perfectly normal.
Just notice them,
And come back to the breath.
And now you can take the time to write down if anything did come to you.
Sometimes it's in this relaxed state that we have the best ideas,
Or remember something we really wanted to do.
