To Be Fully Present

One of a series of unedited “top of mind” posts which are works in progress.

Today I will practice being fully present.

What does it mean to be fully present?
And what about “authenticity” which is so often mentioned?

Being fully present means being fully present to my emotions. Most of us have become conditioned to tuning them out to some degree, but they are always there, like a group of children, impulsive and spontaneous and filled with the energy of life. Although we become conditioned to tuning them out, we all have multiple emotional reactions to everything around us in each moment.

Being fully present means being present to my intentions and values. These also come from our emotional brains. In fact, they begin in the deepest parts of our selves. They start with our love of life, our love of family and friends. They are arise from our instincts and are shaped by the wisdom of our experience.

Being fully present means being present to the power of choice. Of all the qualities which distinguish us as humans from the other beasts, choice is the monarch. It’s sovereignty precedes even language and logic. Choice expresses our values, intentions, and feelings.
The consequences of choice, in turn, shape who we become over time. This dynamic cycle is what makes choice so powerful. In 30 days we can completely change our self and our life. The impact of our choices over years is hard to overstate. It is even hard for us to comprehend.

There is much talk these days of being authentic, although the meme is hardly new. A person’s authenticity is one of those qualities which is instantly familiar and therefore seldom clearly defined. We all recognize when someone is authentic and we generally admire it and yet past that point we have little clarity about “authenticity.”
Is authenticity key to interpersonal influence or connection? Sometimes it seems to be.
Is authenticity key to leadership? Sometimes it seems to be.
It authenticity key to success or happiness? Sometimes it seems to be.
The answer to all of those questions seems to be yes and no.

What if authentic is what others see when we are more fully present? Then the influence of that authenticity surely depends upon what we are present to:

If I am present to and with emotional reactions, I am authentic. I am spontaneous and impulsive and perhaps endearing but probably also childish and self-indulgent.

If I am present to and with my values and intentions, and if they are authentically congruent with one another, I am authentic. I am also powerful and inspiring. I may also quickly become tiresome and pedantic.

If I am consistently present to and with my power of choice, and those choices serve my values and intentions and emotions, I am authentic. My emotional reactions and values and intentions all show at times. I am likely to be experienced as engaging, responsive, and available. I am probably a leader in whatever situation or context in which I am present this way.

Done for now. End of thoughts. Emptied out. Not sure what to do next with these. I choose to try something new.