This week, I wanted to reflect on something that would apply to Thanksgiving (you know that little holiday thing we have this week).
I kept coming back to the idea of giving thanks but didn’t have a clear direction on how to build on that.
Then, I remembered this powerful video I watched last week that talked about giving presence.
And then it dawned on me. That the best present we can give others this holiday season is our presence. Being truly present with our loved ones.
In a culture where we’re all so busy, where we’re all so connected to technology, presence is no longer a guarantee. In fact, it’s harder than ever to give to someone.
And you know what it feels like when you’re with someone and they’re all like “oh hold on, I just gotta check my email real quick.” Or, “oh sorry, just gotta post something to Instagram quickly”. It’s a shitty feeling. Or worse, they don’t even say anything and all the sudden they’re checking their phone while you’re talking to them! When did we get to the point where this is culturally acceptable? It certainly shouldn’t be.
What does being present feel like to you? When I’m present. Truly present. I feel centered, I have clarity, I feel love. I feel alive.
How do you feel when someone you’re with is being present with you? When I’m with someone who is being present with me, I feel loved. I feel heard.
It’s pretty incredible the powerful emotions and feelings that are evoked just by being present, eh?
So, with all the crap that goes on in our day-to-day, how do we stay present? How do we look up? How do we focus on what’s in front of us? How do we evoke those feelings of love, clarity, being centered and alive?
We breathe.
We come back to our breath. By focusing on our breath, we are automatically shifted back to the present. If you’re paying attention to your breath, you’re not paying attention to your 500 emails or how many likes you got on your last Insta post.
So this week, this Thanksgiving, let’s give our presence. Let’s put down our phones and look up at the beautiful people and the beautiful food that surrounds us.
Let’s be present and realize all that we’re thankful for.
There’s so much to be thankful for. After all, we’ve all got our breath, right?
Wishing you and yours a delicious and present Thanksgiving this week. xoxo
Such a beautiful, thoughtful post. Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
Thanks so much, Sonali.
I totally agree with everything you said! My post today also talked about the importance of looking up! You’ve inspired me to make a conscious effort to keep my phone away this week ๐
Thanks, Elizabeth! LOVE that you’re spreading the message to look up too! xo
I really love this post, thank you for sharing. Presence is the greatest gift we can give each other and ourselves. It’s the only way we can really live our lives, instead of just going through the motions
Absolutely, Emma! I love that you said it’s the greatest gift we can give ourselves too. It’s so true – I’m my best self when I’m fully present.
Such an important lesson. That video is great – I just shared it with my whole family. It’s one of the hardest things to do these days with all the technology and feeling of always having something to do. I hope I can give my presence this holiday season. Thank you for making me think about it!
Isn’t it so powerful and beautifully done? I love that you shared it with your family! I agree that it’s harder than ever to be 100% present. The more we think about it, the more we’ll strive to practice it! xo
Reading this post is such a great way to start the week! Here’s to being present. Hope you have a great Monday!
Thanks, Genevieve! We all need a little Monday inspiration to get us through the week ๐
What a lovely post ! I will share… Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for sharing, Kitty! A very happy Thanksgiving to you too!
Beautiful. We all need to remember this!
Thanks lady! xo