Recap

Last week I wrote about living factually and the benefits of this practice. A key factor was the ability to be present in the current moment, instead of physically being there and mentally caught in a story.

Presence

Sometimes it is hard to be present around friends and family. Especially when alcohol is involved or social gatherings. Using excuses like the alcohol made me do it or its, because this person was there, does not make it ok. The reality is that this can be attributed to many factors but the main one is your mindset. Certain friends and family are so overwhelming that we get sucked into their lives, even for a brief moment. Moreover, depending on the bond you have a past version of yourself will surface. Thus, you regress instead of progress, but there are ways to change these situations.

Stay Grounded

The best way to prevent these situations is to focus on your presence which, in turn, keeps you grounded. This is not an easy task in the beginning because we are unable to catch the transition. I am still working on this skill myself and will be every day for the rest of my life. You never know when a new situation will occur, so it is better to be prepared than caught off guard.

In my experience, if you are doing something unusual or against your internal compass, you should not be doing it. Anything associated with personal growth does not count as unusual. A lot of people will say to step outside your comfort zone now and again, but that does not mean to step into someone else’s.

Let your presence and internal compass guide you. There will be times when it is necessary to step back to regain either of these. I count my breaths when this happens. The mind becomes present when it is focused on the breath as the mental chaos settles. There are other ways of doing this that yield the same result; like walking away, briefly closing the eyes and drowning people out by shifting your focus. The technique does not matter as long as you can use it as a baseline.

Let Go

It is hard to accept, people and things change, but that is apart of growing. It is a barrier when you give stories power over any situation. Especially when staying true to who you are can silence the stories. That is the most important part of growing and being the best version of ourself.

Nevertheless, remember it is a marathon, not a sprint. Slip-ups will happen, anxiety will rise and some people will come and go. The most important thing is to continue growing in the direction you want.

 

As always, Hope you learned something from this post and are eager for more! Like, Share, Bookmark and get ready for more weekly content.