My Year of Presence

As 2015 comes to a close, I’m reflecting on the experience I’ve had with my word of the year, “presence.”After spending the previous two years simplifying my life then transitioning my family, home and business to Maine, I felt it was time to slow down and be more present. It was time to experience more joy in whatever I was doing at any given moment. It was time to really notice the simple things in my life and in the world around me.I knew that choosing this word meant that I would be challenging myself to change the ‘rush from one thing to the next’ habit that I’ve lived with most of my life. But I was ready for the challenge.So how did I do incorporating this word of the year into my life?Overall, my journey went well, but it was also a bit surprising.I must say that I thought about this word A LOT. More than any of my previous words of the year, in fact. And I admit that at times I resisted it and at times I embraced it.When I did choose to welcome it, I found great joy. I was able to stop and smile and truly enjoy many moments that I otherwise would not. In the past, I would likely have let these little moments pass by in favor of thinking about what was up next on my agenda. In this way, it helped me slow down.I also shared my journey of noticing the little things, the #detailsinmydays, on Instagram throughout the year. Although I was not as consistent with this endeavor as I had hoped, it was fun and I noticed things that I otherwise would not have seen had I not focused on being present and taking in my surroundings.The one thing that I found a bit surprising was my realization that sometimes the greatest joy is not found in the present moment. As I mentioned, there were times I struggled with being present. What I discovered is that sometimes it wasn’t until long after the moment had passed that I was able to take it all in, and fully enjoy it.The biggest example of experiencing this came during our family’s 5-week, 8000-mile cross-country road trip. With 5 of us plus our dog on the road, staying in a new place almost every night, our days were full. And at times challenging and stressful. The wrong turns, the ant invasion in the RV, the ridiculously hot temperatures in the California desert and a handful of other happenings just weren’t fun at the time. Frankly, I didn’t want to stop and be present in those moments. I wanted to move on to what was next…It wasn’t until after those times had passed, when we were home, talking about those “less than pleasant events,” that we actually found joy in them.Although I don’t generally suggest spending time thinking about the past, and I instead encourage focusing on the present moment and the opportunities for the future, I do think that there is value in spending time reflecting on those times in your life when you were challenged. Whenever I’ve done this in my life, I’ve realized that there was either a lesson to be learned from the experience (a lesson that could only be seen after the fact) or I’ve realized that it really was a moment full of joy-it just wasn’t obvious at the time. When we reflect on events in this way (sharing memories, telling stories, or just thinking about an event), we are able to allow this moment to be filled with joy.What I’m taking away from this year’s word of the year is that being present is, as I had hoped, a way to experience more joy. But on the other hand, occasionally it’s okay to just let a moment happen and move on to the next, then take it all in and relish in the joy later.I’d love to know if you choose a word of the year to guide you. And if so, what your journey was like.  Send me a note and share!  And stay tuned for my next blog post when I reveal my 2016 word of the year.Wishing you a Happy New Year!Lisa