Are you on-stage, in the audience or in the balcony?

February, 2009
with John Kuypers

Dear Friend,

On-stage, in the audience or in the balcony - where are you?

When you are fully present, you are IN the moment. The experience is like you are on-stage, fully alive, unself-conscious and one with what's happening. Your only thoughts and feelings are about this present moment, with no mind-wandering or self-doubt. It's a very special feeling, anchored in being open, vulnerable and confident!

If this does not happen to you much at all, perhaps it is because you are in the audience, watching yourself on the stage. Life is happening but you are an observer. You are APART from yourself - carefully managing "you" so that you don't make a mistake or say the wrong thing. Two voices are active in your head. You are one step removed from being present. This is a common, everyday, habit-driven feeling for many people.

If this still feels foreign to your daily life, perhaps it is because you are in the balcony. A person in the balcony is watching the person in the audience who is watching the person on stage. They are two steps removed from being IN the present. Life is dangerous for them and they experience it as a blur - racing by, numbed out, self-absorbed and unaware of the thoughts and feelings of others. They are struggling to survive and keep their confidence from drowning. This is a very unhappy place to live, but it gives the illusion of being safe - far removed from the vibrant intensity of the present moment.

To be present is to be open & vulnerable. You can only do that if you feel safe. Safety comes from within. The more you feel safe in choppy waters, the more present, connect and on-stage you will live your life. Inner safety ultimately comes from the soul - the deep knowing that you are safe - even when you're not.

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Read the last Issue: Jan 2009 issue, "The Opposite Effect" http://www.presentliving.com/pastissues/jan09oppositeeffect.htm

Please forward this Present Living Thought to friends and colleagues. Present living feels too good to keep it a secret!
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