Being present in the moment involves being in my body and feeling my feelings.  I often quote the Rumi poem Keep Walking that has become my mantra for over 20 years. My understanding of this poem is that I’m looking within and moving forward even when I’m afraid. I’ve encountered this both in my professional and entrepreneurial journeys and in my personal life. Is it fear or is it my body telling me a person or situation is not right for me? Discernment and being cautious are always good, so being careful and thoughtful in my interactions are the only ways I know how to be. However, I’m not always conscience of the fear in the moment. It’s good to acknowledge that the fear is there, but not let it stop me from trying, from moving within and forward.  I ask myself, what does fear feel like in my body or am I experiencing intuitive messages that I should be paying attention to?  Searching for the answer to these questions, helps me be present in the moment. Being present involves vulnerability, humility, and openness and has led me to incredible personal and professional growth, a sense of well-being.

While surrounding myself with people who make me happy is often my goal, sometimes, I’m in a place where I’m just surrounded by people because of circumstance; and I’ve made it my decision to be happy when I'm in these surroundings.  This is not always easy, but it’s always my goal.  I do ask myself if this “is the type of person I really like to be around”.  Is he or she someone who gets me?  Someone who accepts my flaws and all, and I can be myself with? Do we have shared interests? Is the person honest and open and emotionally available to be in relationship with me? If the answer to most is these questions is yes, I try to develop a deep and lasting relationship with the person.

If the answer is no, I create distance, sometimes just limiting my interactions and sometimes completely. I realize that there are people in our lives that don’t get us, that may cause us stress, but I think we can limit our interactions with these people and do our best to not be pulled into whatever negativity that comes with them. Just this week I met with a potential business collaborator and as I sat listening to the person talk without any room for me to engage in conversation or really ask follow-up question, I quickly decided that this was not someone I wanted do business with. While polite and professional, I thanked the person for the meeting and left.

Knowing what's most important to you and what make you happy require skills that constantly evolves. Ask yourself what you value most for your life. Ask yourself what commitments are most important for you. Make the changes that accommodates your needs, your interests and your desires. Accept nothing less!