The Pace of Presence

Today I am grateful for the fellow recovering alcoholics and addicts who enrich my daily journey. I appreciate the soothing sound of a clock ticking and my ears that are able to hear it. 

I gave myself a couple of opportunities yesterday to practice the pace of presence. After some overnight tossing and turning, I got up earlier than usual so I could do some meditation in the hopes that I would fall back to sleep for at least a little longer. It worked and I woke up more refreshed than my sleep hours would indicate. 

I also woke up with a slower mind and went into the next part of my morning routine, some strength and core exercises, with my brain not flying from one thought to another and tension not building. The pace of presence is a kinder, gentler pace for me, for all of us. 

We live in a world that seems to run counter to this idea though. It is causing significant harm to our overall health, and we often don't even pause to consider it. The children and young people of today are getting even more impacted by it. If we never shut down our minds, how can they be clear? If we never give ourselves and our thoughts a break, a period of no judgment, how do we ever get perspective?

So I do what I can and encourage others to do the same. I get discouraged and worried for the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health of humankind, especially those in my country. And then I try to get back to the business of practicing presence. 

Time slows when my approach to it slows. This is part of my daily struggle, but I am guaranteed that genuine and ongoing practice makes progress possible. The pace of presence brings contentment, acceptance, more energy. The pace of "too much to do and not enough time to do it" throws all of that out the window.

I took another intentional opportunity to practice presence yesterday when I got home from work. It was a warmer day so I took the time to sit in the fresh air and soak up some sun before it started to fade. I also took in the "farm smells" that were evident in the air. Farmers are taking advantage of the weather too, to fertilize fields and clean barns and yards. It gets me sentimental for the farm of my childhood. 

It was precious time. Just a few minutes. Some peace returned.

When I get spun up with all I want to do, need to do, etc., time becomes pressure. Where's the fun in that?  Presence is where it's at. The pace of presence. Try some today.