I suppose you may be wondering…how? How + what do I have planned for this month of being present + for this Advent calendar I am creating? And, most importantly, how do we really learn to be present? Well, first off, I have a plan. I actually do! It is a fluid, yet organized plan. And, this morning as I opened up my computer to begin writing this post, I realized that I haven’t yet shared my plan with you. The deets and ideas and ways we will move through the idea of being present on a daily basis.
My focus throughout December, is, of course, to (re)discover the magic + meaning throughout this month by simply being present.
Easier said than done, when we have so much vying for our attention during the holiday season, right? But, that’s exactly why I felt the call to create this – and to do it through daily posts here (plus weekly letters to your inbox on Sundays). I want us to feel the magic + meaning that swirls around us, even in the midst of crazy, difficult, stressful times. And, being present is the key to it all.
So, here’s my fluid, yet organized, plan. And by that, I mean that I have weekly themes that build on one another, but my daily posts are written in real time. Like on the actual day. Reflecting, sharing, and creating each post on the day it is shared.
Ultimately, the idea is for us to explore + evolve, grounding ourselves more + more in the idea of living with presence as we prepare ourselves for the new year. See what you think:
Week 1/Advent 1: Dec 3-9
→ Getting present. Slowing down. Creating space. Settling into a slow, mindful rhythm. Being right here, right now.
Week 2/Advent 2: Dec 10-16
→ Connecting with the presence within. Tuning in. Listening. Accessing wisdom. Discovering the magic + the divine in our souls.
Week 3/Advent 3: Dec 17-23
→ Connecting with the presence all around us. Observing nature + the turning of the seasons. Grounding with the earth + sky. Celebrating the solstice.
Week 4/Advent 4: Dec 24-31
→ Living a life of presence. Discovering how we can embody presence, how we can be present with others. Exploring how presence actually leads to action.
So, what do you think? Make sense? Is there anything missing or anything that you’d like to add? I’d love to hear what you think in a comment below.
In the meantime, make sure to listen to your song of the day. Go to this playlist + hit shuffle. See what song pops up + let that song inspire you for the day.
And, if you feel like it, make your own plan for being present for the rest of this week.
What can you do every single day, for even just a few minutes, to give yourself some time to settle into your soul? How can you settle into the stillness of this dark season? How can you make room for silence + solitude?
Write a little plan for the rest of this week. Commit to it. Discipline yourself. And let yourself drop deep into your own month of being present. Trust that, even though it is tough, at the end of the month, you will have grown + changed + planted the seed of living a life of presence.
xoxo. liz.
