Just Life

Present | February 2022.

Reflecting back on this second month of living this year’s word, I feel like I’m learning a lot from simply paying attention. practicing stillness. resisting the urge to live for future plans (or ruminate over regrets). celebrating what’s good about right now.

Two of my regular daily devotions (I’ve mentioned both here before – Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations and The Enneathought, subscribe here) had themes this month that broadened my understanding of present.

Rohr’s Daily Meditations for the week of February 13 were about Meeting God in Prayer. I took a lot of notes from the introductory meditation that week (link here); what it all boils down to – for me anyway – is that embracing prayer as a life stance requires me to learn to live in the present, because that’s the only place to meet God.

The contemplative secret is learning to live in such a now. The now is not as empty as it might appear to be or that we fear it may be. Try to realize that everything is right here, right now. When we’re doing life right, it means nothing more than it is right now… When we are able to experience that, taste and enjoy it, we don’t need to hold on to it. The next moment will have its own taste and enjoyment.

And then a week later, I read this.

When we begin to open, to be present to our lives here and now, miracles start happening.

Enneathought Teaching, February 21, 2022

I’m here for it. all of it.

and again, many thanks to Carolyn for hosting this monthly meetup and giving us the opportunity to share these journeys with each other. The accountability and the connection are two powerful parts of the process.

outtakes … posing with a dog is great practice for being present!

12 thoughts on “Present | February 2022.”

  1. I have been hearing that message of being preset in the now a lot this month. Maybe because I shifted to more offline time so I can hear more clearly?

  3. Laughing at trying to take a photo with a dog — I know well how that goes!

    I think there is so much to gain from being present, but we are usually so busy that it’s hard to take the time to focus on the here and now.

  6. I took Boone for a walk today and left the earbuds at home – I wanted to listen and see and be. Certainly going to do a bit more of that as the days warm up. Looking good Holly!

  8. You see few pictures of Mylo because he does not like the camera. As Patty said, this time of year is a great time to leave the audio at home while walking the dog. I have been hearing the first birdcalls of spring and it is so joyous. Being in aware of each step I take on the trail is a positive way to be present and being aware of nature feeds my soul.

  9. I was also thinking about the miracle of being present when I wrote my own OLW post this month. It’s such a hard thing to put into practice and yet – such big things can come into your life with even a sporadic practice. And hello to Holly!

  10. Such awesome photos of you and Holly. I hardly can get my Cody to have his photo taken, he does not like it. Being present is something I’ve been thinking about too.

  11. Loving Holly’s photo shoot! Sweet, sweet girl. And Rohr–I have a true appreciation for his ‘Buddhist Christianity.’ My Dad is a practicing Catholic, and I’m a Unitarian Universalist–we connect with Rohr at so many intersections.

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