Being fully present is something I’ve been struggling with over the past years. As you can see on our blog, I write about traveling and our adventures in some far-flung places. After being bitten by the travel bug, I often think about future destinations we’ll visit. That extends to other parts of my life: “Oh when our blog gets so many readers we’ll …”, “When I can do such and such physical activity I’ll …”.
Looking for the next big thing rather than what is right in front of me is alluring. New and exciting things have natural magnetism.
This post is my take on balancing that desire for big things with being present and savoring small everyday joys.
A reminder to stay present and appreciate what’s around me
It’s easy for me to think that the next place I’ll go, the next thing I’ll do, the next post I’ll write, or the next change is going to be the one that makes everything perfect. It rarely has been.
Don’t get me wrong, those things are amazing! I’m beyond grateful for the experiences I’ve had. However, taking time to savor the journey has provided me with as much fulfillment and joy. Doing so daily is achievable if I can slow down and be present.
I was very concretely reminded of this fact one weekend on a getaway near Mount Washington in New Hampshire. We were looking to have a relaxing weekend and wanted to take a simple stroll on our Saturday. So I applied my usual planning strategy and read about what hikes and walks were in the area and chose one that sounded good. It wound up being at Flume Gorge, a 30-minute drive from our hotel.
We drove down and saw that many others had the same idea. In fact, there was a huge line to get in and no parking at the trailhead! We looked for a nearby alternative and found another trail. This trail was a complete mud hole on that day! After all the driving and hunting around, we ate our lunches in the car and drove back to the hotel.
When we got back, we paused to enjoy the stunning views at the hotel and decided to walk along a nearby dirt road. We found a path there that wound up taking us through some beautiful woods with lovely trees and moss. Exactly what we wanted was a 2-minute walk from where we started our search!
That experience felt like a smack in the face with a reminder: “Stay present and enjoy what’s around you, Ryan!”. So here I am telling you about it.
Searching quotes on being present
I searched around for quotes about being present that could put my sentiment for this post into words succinctly. I came across this one from novelist Meg Cabot
“Sometimes what you want is right in front of you. All you have to do is open your eyes and see it.”
-Meg Cabot, “All-American Girl”
Never having read the book, I’m likely taking it out of context and changing the meaning. However, it resonates and precisely captures my feelings!
Please tell me if you’ve read the book and can put it in context.
The balance between striving for big things and being present to savor the everyday
Where I’d love to be is to balance planning big things, like our upcoming trip to Portugal as I write this in 2023, and enjoying the small accessible things around me like a beautiful flower on the side of the road.
The allure of the new, the big, and the extravagant is hard to deny for me. I imagine many others reading travel blogs experience something similar. So I’m making an effort to be present on the journey between these experiences and appreciate what is right around me.
Where to go from here?
What should I do with this? I know I’m going to focus on staying present both in the current moment and in my current location. My wish to explore and see new things will always be with me. That wanderlust can also be applied to places within a mile or a block of my current location.
Writing, coding, making music, being active, and creating are all things that appeal to me because they provide opportunities to fully immerse myself in something. So I’ll also take time to be present in those activities.
Unexpected instant rewards for being present
As I wrote this post I took some time to look out the window. Those few minutes of presence rewarded me with this cute bird sitting on the railing
some beautiful early morning clouds
and other birds flying through the sky. After those couple minutes, I felt my body and mind relax. I cracked a few extra smiles while writing this post too.
What am I going to do today?
Today I’m going to enjoy the bird outside my window, appreciate the little library around the corner, revel in my partner’s smile, and savor writing this post. I’m not going to obsess over whether or not it gets any traffic at some future time and how that would be transformative. Instead, I’ll be delighted that I have the opportunity to share these thoughts and can hear from someone else out there.
Longer term, I’ll keep exploring near and far and try not to lose sight of what’s right in front of me. I’ll travel locally, explore my current city and neighborhood, and savor time with the people close to me in those moments. All I’ve got to do is slow down, stay present, and open my eyes!
Wrapping up
Does this idea resonate with you? How do you stay present? Are there any being present quotes that resonate with you? What have you noticed when you’ve taken the time to stay present? Tell us below!