Important Moments. . .

Think on how many times you may be with someone one or doing something with friends – was your mind solely on that conservation or those activities? Reflecting on these tmoment, I’ve come to really appreciate the importance of being totally present with the person I’m with – not just physically present or even intellectually present, but a spiritual or emotional presence. Some people may call this mindfulness, but lets just use ‘presence’ for now. This presence suspends your ‘self’ for a moment. You aren’t there just so you can get something from the other person, or to get their acknowledgment of you. That other person is not understood merely by being a reference point to you. What that means is you can get to know the other person as they are and be with them in that moment without anything more. So you can understand them without comparing them to you, without adding your own judgment and preconceptions of who you think they are and what they want. You realize that your presence means so much to them; it is like a present, a gift of unconditional love. In turn, your relationships become more meaningful and have more depth to them. You start to really understand people, and just as importantly, you start to truly understand yourself and be present to the ‘you’ that is manifesting at this very moment. So the practice for this week is to ‘tune into’ the moment next time you are with someone. Really be there with them, and be there for them. See if you can suspend the chattering mind for just a moment, to leave behind the preconceptions and assumptions of what you think the other person is saying, so you can really listen to what they are saying with their mouths, their body, and their heart. Make them feel like in that moment, they are the most important person for you, because indeed they really are.