Rewiring Our Brains for Presence
By Brooke Davidson
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“What’s next?” -- this is a question I find myself asking (whether silently or aloud) far too often. I may ask this while cleaning the house or finishing up my grading for the week, or sometimes even while still lying in bed in the morning. We ask ourselves this question frequently as a way of keeping moving. We use it to guide us as we plan our day or week because it feels like the responsible thing to do. And it is no wonder why! We live in a culture that values productivity above all else -- the emerging support for self-care practices is truly a sociocultural revolution. While there are times we need to ask ourselves “What’s next?”, if the question is overused or ingrained as a pattern, it has the potential to breed toxic dissatisfaction into our lives.
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©PreciousPeachPhotos
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THE HARM IN THE QUESTION
“What’s next?” might seem harmless, and sometimes it really can be. But more often than not, asking ourselves this takes our attention away from the present moment and what already is. The fact of the matter is that we cannot control what comes next. We can plan and prepare and worry and wonder, but when it comes down to it, the single space in time in which we have any power is the exact moment we are in right now.
With that in mind, time spent obsessing over the future is time wasted. Now let me be clear here -- we should certainly take steps every day towards a better future for ourselves. Be conscious that what you do on a daily basis, such as saving wisely, investing in your education/career, and taking care of your body, set you up for success in the future.
The point here is that if we are always thinking about what comes next we are not thinking about what we can actually influence and partake in -- the present moment. This is the wisdom of many renowned yogis such as Ticht Naht Hanh who once said, “Your true home is in the here and the now.” This quote reminds us that the present -- where we can exercise power, interact, and otherwise participate in our lives -- is truly where we belong.
With that in mind, time spent obsessing over the future is time wasted. Now let me be clear here -- we should certainly take steps every day towards a better future for ourselves. Be conscious that what you do on a daily basis, such as saving wisely, investing in your education/career, and taking care of your body, set you up for success in the future.
The point here is that if we are always thinking about what comes next we are not thinking about what we can actually influence and partake in -- the present moment. This is the wisdom of many renowned yogis such as Ticht Naht Hanh who once said, “Your true home is in the here and the now.” This quote reminds us that the present -- where we can exercise power, interact, and otherwise participate in our lives -- is truly where we belong.
If while reading this you have nodded along and felt the idea to be relatable, then let me offer an alternative. Whenever you are working on a task and find yourself thinking, “What’s next?” consciously redirect your mind instead to the question of “How can I be here now?” Sometimes this means a mental-emotional redirect. If we notice ourselves feeling particularly irritable from a bad day at work, then we need to find a way to check that at the door and not let it seep into interactions with our family that night at home. Sometimes “How can I be here now?” is best answered through some grounding exercises such as more attention to sensation. I can take a shower and think through the whole work week ahead, or I can notice the temperature of the water and the scent of the shampoo I’m lathering onto my scalp. The gift of the second option is that of presence. I leave the shower not just with thoughts, but with actual experience, and we learn from experience far more than we can ever learn from our thoughts alone. Ram Dass said it best when advising, quite simply, to “Be here now.”
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her goal on social media is “to spread light and build community with others” -- ideals that Fit Flexy Folk shares |
Brooke Davidson
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