The Importance of Being Present

Tammy Ogren
Feb 15, 2022
3 min read

3 Warning Signs You Might Not Be Present...

I was a planner, an over-the-top scheduler, achiever, goal-setter, organizer, in complete control...

until I wasn’t. Life turned upside down in a heartbeat, smacking me in the face with the reality that control was an illusion.

I am amazed at how quickly I let go. My focus became pin-pointed on TODAY and my vision narrowed into a tunnel only clear about what I could do TODAY. I learned a lot in that year of turbulence, and I’ll never forget that 8am doctor appointment in April that changed my life forever. Three months earlier, I had felt the need to focus on TODAY and that was so against my natural mindset of forward-thinking focus that it seemed more curious than necessary. But I felt called to think about it and put a sign up in my office as a daily reminder to think about TODAY. I thought it meant I should focus on being present and appreciating the day. That April morning, I realized I was being prepared to the idea that I was ONLY going to be capable of thinking about TODAY, each day…for a year…and that my stark reality was that my idea of Control was nothing but an illusion. That I had no control over the future; I could plan for it, but my rigid approach needed a life altering shift into realization that I should know myself, my purpose, and strive toward living with meaning, but having a concrete plan was not working out so well.

When I let go of the idea of control, I recognized that I was missing the present. Learning from the past and preparing for the future are important, but focusing on either of them without honoring the present is a huge mistake. Maybe you can use the reminder this week, that TODAY is important – don’t sit by looking too far down the road or by focusing on the past.

3 Warning Signs:

1. You aren’t aware of the Present—to be present means to be aware of the moment. Pause for a moment and take in what’s happening around you. What do you see? If you are alone, what colors do you see? What’s the ‘vibe’? Are there people around you? What is the mood? Just look for appreciating the presence of your surroundings. Listen with understanding –Focus on the sounds around you. Smell the air, Feel the hot cup of tea in your hands or the fabric of your chair. Feel the energy around you. Take the time right now to consume the present. Keep still, open your senses and just ‘be’.

2. Don’t worry about things you can’t do anything about. We can consume ourselves with worry about things that may never happen. Don’t waste your time – use your time to live in this moment instead. Choose Today – choose the present. Be grateful for it. Go to bed thinking about the best thing that happened today. This will bring you to a place of focus on all the good things you experienced. Don’t miss today worrying about tomorrow. Appreciate today and speak your gratitude.

3. Control is an illusion. You can control you, today, but you cannot control what is yet to happen. You can plan for it; you can set things in motion certainly, but be careful to not move to such rigid control that you miss opportunities. Maybe that wrong turn has a really cool surprising view. I’ll always be a goal-setter and a planner. It’s just how I’m wired. But even in that planning, I’ve learned to be open to nuances today – open to opportunities that I might have missed in the past.

Reason 4. Do something different. Exploring YOU doesn’t have to be making life changing decisions—it could simply be a very small or moderate change in your life.