Staying Present

I've been interested in psychology since I was about 16.

At first it came from curiosity. How people see themselves. How they see others. Why two people can experience the same thing and walk away with completely different interpretations. Studying the brain felt like the answer to these questions.

Getting into psychology early helped me become more aware -- of myself and of other people. It gave me a language for things I was already noticing.

The one idea that really stuck with me more than anything else was mindfulness.

When mindfulness and meditation were first introduced to me, I wasn't in a great place. I felt lost, isolated, and I noticed that these practices seemed to help others in ways I didn't fully understand yet.

I needed to try it!

I started meditating daily, usually around 30 minutes. At first it was simple -- breathing exercises, just paying attention to inhale and exhale. Over time it turned into something quieter. Fewer thoughts. More just taking in what was around me at the time (if that makes sense).

That practice ended up helping me in places I didn't expect. Tattooing!

As I practiced being present, I noticed I could sit through tattoo sessions more easily. Not because the pain disappeared, but because I wasn't constantly reacting to it. Clearing my mind made it easier to stay still, to stay calm, to let the experience happen without fighting it.

I've seen the same thing with clients. People who practice meditation or mindfulness tend to sit better. They breathe differently. They don't tense up as much. And because of that, I'm able to do better work for them.

Lately, this idea of staying present has been coming back up in a different way.

I catch myself thinking a lot about the next thing. The next milestone. Where I should be in a year, or three years, or five. It's easy to live like that -- always slightly ahead of yourself.

But is that really living?

If your mind is always in the future or stuck in the past, it's hard to notice what's actually happening right in front of you. And isn't that the stuff that is meaningful? Work, conversations, small moments that don't feel like they deserve your attention until you miss them.

Staying present doesn't mean not planning or not wanting more. It just means not skipping over the part you're already in.

That's something i'm still practicing.