Founder of The Mindful Moment, Dr. Alexandra Domelle shares how your complete presence is the key to any resolution you make for the year
"It is only through letting go, through surrender, through allowing that you make room for new." - Alexandra Domelle
As the year comes to a close, many of you may be already looking forward to what you hope to create, achieve and succeed at in the next twelve months.
Goals that were set this year may be modified, added to or completely discarded in light of all that you have experienced and learnt.
You may be seeking to make the next twelve months your best yet, whether it be through hard work, meticulous planning or even wishful thinking.
Your list of resolutions may be long, or it may be short.
It does not matter.
Each item will be personal to you, relevant to your life experiences and aligned with your goals and ambitions.
Of all the resolutions you make, there is one that is key to them all.
The power of presence.
What is the power of presence?
The power of presence is the ability to be fully present in every moment, regardless of where you are and what you are doing.
The power of presence is living completely in the Now, by letting go of the past and the future.
The power of presence is recognising that this moment, here, Now, is the only certainty and it has within it everything that you need.
Your complete presence in any moment, any situation is more powerful than any thought, word or deed.
Complete presence requires strength; however, this strength is not of body, or mind but of surrender.
Of allowing.
Of letting go.
Of trusting.
When you are completely present, you have accepted the situation for what it is. This is not to say that you like it, or are fully comfortable in it, rather, that you are allowing yourself to experience all that is without resistance.
When you are completely present, you let go of your expectations, your needs, and your desires. You let go of your pre-conceived assumptions, your prejudices and your biases. You let go of your past experiences, your current demands and your future opportunities.
When you are completely present, you trust that the situation is working out for your highest good. You trust that whatever is happening is the experience of this moment. You trust that this moment has something to teach you and that you are open to it.
So why does complete presence matter?
Complete presence opens you up to experience all that is in every moment.
Complete presence allows you to see situations clearly, without the influence of thoughts, emotions, and ego.
Complete presence helps you generate ideas and solutions that would otherwise remain hidden.
Can anyone be completely present?
Yes, complete presence is not the realm of a select few. Yes, it takes some practice; however, the benefits are priceless.
How can you be completely present?
One of the easiest ways is, to begin with, your breath.
One conscious breath is worth a thousand unconscious ones.
When was the last time you took a conscious breath?
A breath that you were completely aware of, from the moment you inhaled to the moment you let it go?
Pause now and take a conscious breath.
One that fills your body fully.
One in which you are completely aware of all that your physical body is, from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.
One that empties your mind of all thought, dissolving the separation between the inner and outer self.
Breathe.
Just breathe.
Feel the air moving in and out of your body.
Look around you.
This is your environment.
Your surroundings.
Your place of being in this moment.
Breathe.
Listen.
What can you hear?
Allow the sounds to pass through you.
Breathe.
You are as much part of your surroundings, as your surroundings are part of you.
There never was a separation.
Breathe.
Feel that smile flicker across your lips.
There.
All is well.