Presence means freedom from worry about the future and regret about the past. When you're not trapped in either, you notice details you'd otherwise miss and become your most authentic self, like a Magic Eye puzzle where hidden patterns appear only when you're fully looking.
What is presence? How do you define it? Why is it important? Let's just sort of go down that path a little bit. So very simple definition for presence is the absence of worry and regret. When you are worried about something, that usually means you're focused on the future. When you're regretful about something, it means you're focused on the past. The extreme version of worry is anxiety. The extreme version of regret is depression. You're stuck in the past or you're stuck in the future. And when you're stuck in the past or future, then it's very difficult to feel like you're in the moment. It's— you are able to be the best version of yourself, the most authentic version of yourself, when you're not worried about what's going to happen next and when you're not regretful about what just happened 5 minutes ago, 5 months ago, or 5 years ago. When you're able to fully show up to the moment, that allows you to be able to say things, to cognize things, and to see things that you probably would have missed otherwise. And life becomes like a walking Magic Eye puzzle.
How to Raise Strong, Unshakable Boys in Today's Culture, with Dr. Shefali Tsabary
