Last week I drove to New York City. Even though I grew up in New York State, I have been away for most of my life and driving into the city causes anxiety. As a planner, I want to plan the trip in detail. So, relinquishing that control of planning to something like the Waze app took some courage. It was my first time using the Waze app and I realized it was not so difficult. It gives you precise directions. Even how well the app is designed there was one point when it confused me. Once I got my bearings in an unfamiliar environment, I realized that trust is not only a matter of courage, but also the ability to be present. The courage to be present, even as I write it, doesn’t quite sound real. In reality, we open new worlds by making this small internal change.
A lot of my understanding of myself, and my pre-planning and controlling ways have been demonstrated throughout my life when it comes to travel and directions. Driving in France and Germany with colleagues taught me two significant lessons.
- One lesson I learned was that sometimes not planning leads to new opportunities. You don’t know what’s around the corner, and it could be fantastic.
- Secondly, when you recognize you’ve made a mistake, there’s no need to panic. By using your knowledge and the information that the world gives you, you can explore new avenues.
I tried something completely different on my trip to New York City. I chose to be present and enjoy the scenery by seeing what was happening. Being present is the key.
Imagine if we could do this in other scenarios? Information about a work project that takes you into unknown areas need not be devastating. The ability to be open to innovative ideas expands our horizons and leads to innovation.
I learned the importance of being present last week. Here are the steps I had to remind myself to follow:
- Listen to your body to name any negative emotions as soon as they start because they’re telling you something.
- In times of negative emotion, be present to observe and counteract it.
These realizations prove my strong belief that practicing being present (i.e., centering, grounding, meditating) will improve my well-being. It is the first thing I recommend to anyone looking to improve their lives. A daily centering and gratitude practice lays a solid foundation upon which to build a new life.
Spend a few minutes daily taking deep breaths, finding your center and pondering these points:
- What happened the last time you experienced a negative emotion?
- How long did it take to calm down?
- Were there any costs (time, money, relationships)?
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