I was listening to someone speak recently and it made me realize that I had some work to do with respect to being present. I don’t know about you but being present can mean many things to a person. The type of presence I’m writing about today is your whole self presence. Meaning your physical and mindful presence.

So often we are faced with the business of the day. We are pulled in so many directions, and something or someone inevitably suffers. Sometimes, that person or something is you. Grief is hard work. It takes a lot of energy, mentally and physically to move through this journey daily. Depending on where you are at on this journey it could be minute by minute.

For me I understand I have been “busy” these past 13 1/2 years. I am a self-confessed workaholic. I have a strong work ethic and I take it farther because it’s all I’ve ever known from my mother and her mother, my grandmother. What is really important here in this message is to have balance. Be present. You can be present in your work and also in your life.

I have done an incredible amount of work to get where I am with my grief. It’s not perfect. It’s not over. Never will be. But for growth to happen, and growth must happen; you must do the work. Being present is the first step. Recognizing when you need to just stop, put down what you are doing and spend time in that moment to understand where you are, how you feel and write about it. Don’t hide from grief. Manage it. Learn from it and better yet grow from it.

Here are a few steps for you to take in your own journey:

Be Present
Own It
Lean In
Be Clear
Be Engaged

In time, you will be able to lead someone else through the fire. The unfortunate truth is there is great need in the world for the “cloud of witnesses” who’ve walked this walk; who’ve owned it; who’ve been present and who’ve engaged in their own healing.

Until next time,

M