presenting presence

Read time: 3 minutes

rise & shine you,

presence is the best present. and yes my primary love language is quality time, but i think this holds true for all love languages.

• you can’t give presents without presence in your gift

• you can’t physically touch without presence of your body

• you can’t perform acts of service without presence in your act

• you can’t speak words of affirmation without presence in your words

we all need presence to feel connected.

YET we all struggle to be present.

a fight we are destined to fight our lifetimes, as distractions continue to increase. but a fight that is undeniably worth fighting.

mindset

this week’s mindset = be present.

growing up as a ballerina, i learned the power of stage presence at a young age. i figured out how to command a stage whether i was center stage or back row. i was performing the exact same move as the other dancers on the stage, but i wasn’t just moving. i was fully feeling the moment, the music, the role, & the audience. on stage, i felt alive in a way that i could not explain with words, but that i know was felt internally by me & externally by the audience.

i retired my pointe shoes many many years ago, but i’ve subconsciously used the practice of presence ever since — in classes, interviews, meetings, presentations, dates, & life.

i didn’t realize what i was doing until i got serious about meditation and learned the practice of mindfulness, which is the ultimate practice of presence.

to be present is to fully commit your attention to this moment, resisting the temptation to dwell on the past or worry about the future.

a vow to be in the now.

many focus on mindfulness as being a tool for peak performance, but it is really a powerful tool for peak living, which is the most important performance of your life.

mission

this mindset primes the mission of giving presence

being present for yourself is the only way to give presence to others. i learned this feeling through dance as i used my body, moves, breath, & energy to give my presence to the audience by being committing to myself in that moment & nothing else.

our attention is pulled in a million directions,
so we must push ourselves to give presence.

the gift of presence is usually most powerful in person, but can be given in a phone call, voice memo, email, text, or handwritten card. all you have to do is choose to show up 110% to that moment of giving:

• carefully write a text

• consciously call a friend

• thoughtfully send a selfie

• intentionally pick a greeting card 😁 (preferably at merry makery)

give your presence as the best present.

musing

asynchronous work is all the rage, but i think async mail is even more magical.

we use tracking services to better know what is happening with our mail, but we never fully know something is received unless we are told by the recipient.

mailing something is the ultimate act of surrendering your words, thoughts, & gifts. mail is received & responded to at the right time for the recipient.

you can’t guarantee a reply so best to give simply to give, without attachment to the response.

a notification that you know will be appreciated, even if it is never acknowledged.

this week’s cards are perfect for async appreciation.

always here for you,

MacK