Welcome.
Take a moment to arrive.
Find a comfortable seat or lie down if that feels better for you today.
Let your hands rest gently.
Let your shoulders drop.
Let your traps fall away from your ears.
Allow your face to soften.
If it feels safe,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Now take a slow breath in through your nose and a long breath out through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale and exhale.
For the next few minutes,
There's nowhere you have to be.
Nothing you have to accomplish.
Nothing you need to earn.
Right now,
This moment is enough.
I want to begin with a simple story.
Yesterday,
Our two boys experienced their third Christmas.
And like so many kids,
They were showered with gifts.
Toys,
Games,
Excitement,
Wrapping paper flying everywhere.
The joy was big,
But interestingly,
It was brief.
They would open a toy,
Light up for about five minutes,
And then put it down and rush toward the next one,
And the next one,
And the next one.
You could feel the excitement.
It was palpable.
But also,
The restlessness,
The overwhelm,
The chaos.
This wasn't satisfaction.
This was stimulation.
And what I noticed was this.
Their deepest joy didn't come from the pile of stuff,
Which we do appreciate.
It came when my wife and I sat on the floor with them,
Put our phones away,
Laughed,
Played,
Tickled.
Just being silly.
More importantly,
Being with them.
See,
It wasn't the toys that filled them.
It was our presence,
Our love,
Our attention,
Our time.
That was what satisfied them most.
This quote from Jefferson Frischer.
He says,
Presence is the highest form of authenticity.
I'll repeat.
Presence is the highest form of authenticity.
Just let that marinate for a moment.
Now take a slow breath in,
And a long exhale out.
And if your eyes aren't already closed,
Close them.
All of us are surrounded by stuff.
For many of us,
Successes come with more things,
More options,
More stimulation,
More to chase,
More to manage.
We collect experiences.
We collect accomplishments.
We collect possessions.
We keep thinking,
Just a little more.
Just the next promotion.
Just the next flight upgrade,
And then I'll feel complete.
But like kids,
On Christmas morning,
We pick something up,
We feel good for a moment,
And then that quiet,
Subtle,
Insidious restlessness returns.
Not because we're broken.
Definitely not because we're ungrateful.
But because stuff can't fill the space that only presence can.
Presence is nourishment.
Presence is connection.
Presence is love embodied.
It's what it means to be fully alive.
It is the highest form of authenticity.
When we're truly present,
We're not pretending.
We're not performing.
We're not managing perception.
We are real.
We are here.
We are alive.
And that's what the heart actually longs for.
Now,
Bring your awareness back to your breath.
Feel a gentle rise on the inhale,
And the soft release on the exhale.
Notice your body being held by the surface beneath you.
Let yourself be supported.
You don't have to hold everything right now.
Let your jaw soften.
Let your shoulders ease.
Let the belly relax.
Allow yourself to be here,
Without striving.
You might silently say to yourself,
In this moment,
I have enough.
Again,
In this moment,
I have enough.
In this moment,
I am enough.
In this moment,
I am enough.
Let those words settle in the body.
Feel them.
Now,
Gently place a hand over your heart,
If that feels right,
And feel the warmth of your chest pressing up against your hand.
Feel life moving inside you,
Blood flowing,
Heart beating.
And you might silently whisper to yourself,
Enough does not live in what I own.
Enough lives in how I show up.
Enough is right here.
Notice what happens in your chest as you say that.
Maybe it softens.
Maybe it opens.
Maybe it resists.
Whatever is here,
Just simply make room for it.
You don't have to force anything.
Presence itself is enough.
And if your mind drifts,
If it goes to your to-do list,
Or your responsibilities,
Or what's next,
Just gently,
Kindly,
Compassionately,
Guide it back to your breath,
To your body,
To your heart.
This simple return again,
And again,
And again.
My friend,
This is Presence.
And Presence changes how we experience life.
It transforms moments with our families.
It changes how we lead.
It enriches how we love.
Because when we're present,
We stop chasing life.
We start living it.
Take another slow inhale,
And a long,
Gentle exhale.
Let your nervous system settle.
Let your mind rest.
Feel the truth of this moment.
Breath is here.
Life is here.
You are here.
And this,
This moment,
This is enough.
As you prepare to return to your day,
Just carry this memory with you.
Stuff is temporary.
Achievements are temporary.
The high of the next thing is temporary.
But Presence?
Presence is filling.
Presence is satisfying.
Presence is deeply human.
It's the highest form of authenticity.
And every time you choose Presence with yourself,
With your partner,
With your kids,
With your life,
You remember what it really means to have enough.
Take one final slow breath in.
And exhale,
Completely letting all of the air out of your lungs.
And gently wiggle the fingers and toes.
Roll the shoulders softly.
And when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for choosing Presence.
Thank you for remembering what truly matters.
Namaste.
