What Scares Leaders About Being Present

When we start to work with leaders on being deeply present in the moment, we often hear people say something (not so) surprising: they don’t want to.  It may sound something like this…

• “It takes too much energy to be present all the time.”

• “I have way too much to do to be present.”

• “If I become aware of what’s really happening, then I’ll have to do something about it.”

I have versions of these thoughts all the time. And yet, to state the obvious, the present moment is the only thing that’s real.  To be in touch with the present is to be in touch with reality.  

But it’s so much more than that.  

Think about what it feels like to always share the present moment with distractions, thoughts about the past, or planning about the future. For me it feels like noise.  It feels anxious.  

Think about where you’ve been every time you’ve felt a deep connection, helped someone feel safe, felt safe yourself.  I bet you were in the present moment.

So if - like me - you frequently catch yourself feeling scared of being present, try reminding yourself that finding our way back to the present isn’t just a way to be more aware and effective, it’s where we find connection and healing.