"Presence"

It's that time a year when we think of everything from holiday decorations, food, family and friends, community, giving and new resolutions for the year to come after reflecting on the year that has just passed.  It's the thoughts of giving and reflection along with the setting of goals that always draw me to dwell on the "presence", mine as well as those that surround me.  By "presence" I refer to what I am doing to contribute, how I am making a difference to others or the universe.  Being present or reflecting on our "presence" of course, means something different to each one of us.  How we view the impact we have each day and on others varies from day to day, at least it does for me (I often let life get in the way).  Each of us have a social impact (not just what we post on Instagram and our social media sites), but in how we enable sentient beings, hopefully to lead richer, more flourishing lives.  So, in the spirit of giving and setting goals, my small reminder of "presence" as I try not to get caught up in to do lists, projects, party planning, shopping, the stress of the holidays and life in general.

Many of us don't believe we have what it takes to make a difference in the world, myself included.  I struggle with this more often than I care to admit. It's easy to believe that only people like Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Marie Curie, Bill Gates, Anne Frank, Mozart, Thomas Edison and the likes are capable of making a difference. This is because we are thinking grand scale, in essence, leaving world renowned legacies, when the truth is, every one of us is put in this world to contribute and make a difference in our own unique way.  I often have to remind myself that it doesn't need to be anything spectacular or life altering, it just needs to be something I do with the intention of "doing good". Small, caring acts of kindness and positive interactions brought to the light of others. With one small gesture you can change a person's life for better (or for worse). Even those listed above, accomplished individual acts that turned into an accumulation of small steps and grand ventures. 

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." - Mother Teresa

We must never underestimate the power of our actions. Everything matters, everything makes a difference an in the moment, it most likely won't look like a life altering event.  We already have what it takes to make the world a better place. Being present each day, with every interaction may seem like an enormous task, but it is in fact the collective effort of everyone making small contributions with a lot of heart.

We don't need to wait until we have more time or more money.  Little efforts count, we just need to lead the way.  Each seeking to influence others to start doing things that make a difference. Start doing whatever is within our ability today.  Start showing more kindness and concern to those around us.  Listen, really listen by seeking first to understand others, make a donation to charity or volunteer our time. Start putting ore effort, show our "presence" no matter how small and insignificant it may seem. I plan to do something and do something good. I hope you do too.

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before

starting to improve the world." - Anne Frank

After all, life is a matter of connecting with people. A hundred years from now all that will matter is the people we connected with in such a way that we added value and meaning to their lives. I am truly thankful for those that have made an impact on mine and many of them were just a smile when I needed it most, a kind word, a compliment, a hug, words of encouragement, or just listening when I needed to be heard.  Some were grander things like celebrating "firsts" with me, giving me opportunities that strengthened and enriched my life, but all of these added richness to my journey.  Let me see what "presence" I can give to the world today.

"Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something." - Author Unknown

Do something. Strive to be more present.