Paying Attention

To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.

-Mary Oliver

How easy it is to get swept up in the details of our busy lives, in the drama of our relationships, in the worries of our hearts.

And then before we know it, we give in to the chatter of our minds and we forget. We forget our connection to Source. We forget the big picture. We forget to stop and take a breath.

Mary Oliver’s words are an invitation to return to Presence and to remember our truest essence. By paying attention we instantly become present. We aren’t worrying about the future or reflecting on the past. We are right there, looking at the person sitting across from us, holding the pen in our hand, or feeling the ground beneath our feet as we walk through the park.

You don’t have to meditate for decades or go to a retreat in the woods to experience the peace of Presence. There is no complicated technique to master or mantra to memorize. All you need is to be present, and we stay present by paying attention—to our breath, our thoughts, whatever we encounter.

But even with the best of intentions, we forget. We get caught up in our lives and all its obligations. What is important is not to dwell in the forgetting, but to be grateful for the moments of remembrance, of returning to Presence, and finding peace in the present moment. As with all practice, be loving and compassionate with yourself, and remember, you are already that which you seek.

I have included a guided meditation.