Being Present to the Push

July 13th, 2023 by Kelly Kienzle

“A part of me really wants to be fully in the present moment, but a bigger part of me just wants to push past this period now because it sucks.” I whined out this plea to a friend recently and she responded, “What if you were present to the push?”

Oh.  That’s a good idea.

Being present to the push is a beautiful way of stating how we can both be in the present moment and look to the future.  I/we can be present now to how much I want to push past this time.

I can be present to how my mind wanders to when my calendar will clear up in a few more weeks.  I can be present to how I feel I am on my ragged edge of capacity.  I can be present to my yearning for open space and time.

These are the elements of my present moment.  And I can be present to them.

And I do not need to feel guilty or like a failure not to be in the moment.  I am in the moment.  It just so happens that my moment is one of anticipation and restlessness for the future.

So, if you find yourself yearning for more freedom or structure, more quiet or calm, more adventure or stillness, simply know that is your present state.  Being aware of those needs and wants is you being in your present moment.

We do not need to love our present moment in order to be present in it.  We simply can acknowledge what it is.  We can be present to the push.  And that’s enough.