Urban Thought Collective

According to dictionary.com, the word present means: being, existing, or occurring at this time or now.

Being present has become a popular term today for New Agers and Spiritualists in the West.

But this concept has been common place in the East within Buddhist culture for centuries. Usually, our minds are preoccupied with the future or the past. By being aware of the present moment, we become appreciative of the simple things in life. The more we live in the present, the more we understand that we have all we need. Understanding that our needs are met leads to fulfillment and brings us one step closer to enlightenment.

I like to think of being present as being receptive to the needs of the Universe, or the will of GOD. When I suggest that the Universe has needs, I mean that we have a function or purpose in the Universe similar to that of a cell in a human body. Just as a cell fulfills a function for our bodies, so we do we fulfill a function for the Universe. When we are in the present moment (not envisioning the future or reliving the past), we can fulfill our function by simply listening to what’s requested of us.

You may be wondering how you will know when the Universe or GOD is trying to use you. The easiest way is to be aware of coincidences. This can be a difficult practice and will take time.

Also, when we become aware that our services are being requested, we may find that we are not ready to be used in the manner that’s needed, or that we reacted too slowly and missed the opportunity altogether.

I’ll share an example. The concept of this article came to me while I was walking down a street in Colorado Springs, Co. As soon as I thought to myself, “Ok, Rod, let’s be present and see how the Universe desires to use us.” I had barely completed my thought when a homeless man yelled out indiscriminately at those of us passing by, “Do you have any change?” I thought about it, and I did have change, but I did not give it to him and continued to walk by. I then told myself, “Rod, that was your opportunity to be utilized and you passed it up.” Before my thoughts began to spiral out of control into that negative self talk, I realized there was no need to beat myself up about the missed opportunity. I was happy with noticing the coincidence and the fact that I could hear the Universe speaking loud and clear.

You’ll begin to realize that you have plenty of opportunities to serve the Universe. As you continue this practice, you may find yourself doing things that you never thought possible.

What’s key is that we remember that we can be present and utilized when needed.

The benefits of the practice are empowerment, fulfillment and the awareness of the Universe or GOD working through you.

Roderick Watkins is a Certified Hypnotherapist and doctoral student in Metaphysics. His mission is to aid you in finding resolutions for conflicted parts of your being using spiritual resources to guide you on the path towards a unified self.