Last week, I attended the Blissdom 2012 conference in Nashville, TN. Amongst all the sessions related to business and social media, there were also sessions on life development. I felt this was important because all too often we get caught up on taking care of business, that we forget to take care of ourselves. One session I attended was titled “The Present Principle: How to be Present in a Demanding World” and was led by Claire Díaz Ortiz. In addition to an inspiring story from a young man she met in Kenya, Claire provided us with her seven-step manifesto for living in the present each day. Paraphrased from her talk and the notes I took, I share with you Claire’s seven steps to life in the now. You can download the original from her site.
Seven Steps to Living in the Present: Claire Díaz Ortiz’s Present Principle
- P – Pray/Pause/Peace: It doesn’t matter what you call it, the point is to have a quiet moment first thing in the morning.
- R – Read: This isn’t just about reading anything, but instead means to read in the sense of studying. Study a passage, a poem, or something that will give you inspiration.
- E – Express: Take what you’ve studied and express what you’ve read, whether through writing in a journal, drawing, or some other form of creativity.
- S – Schedule: Scan your day, mind map your thoughts, and put everything you’ve got going on in your head out on paper.
- E – Exercise: Any movement will do, whether just a quick walk, more rigorous exercise, or simply dancing around your house. The idea is to get your body moving.
- N – Nourish: Do something that will give you life. This can mean different things for everyone, but it can be reading (for fun), baking, crafting, etc.
- T – Track: Take inventory of how your day went. How did you do? What did you miss? What did you forget? What can be better tomorrow?
Claire explained that she wrote this seven step guide as a reminder for herself, since she doesn’t always live in the present. It is important to note that Claire begins her day early in the morning, as she finds that is when she has the most time to be able to work on herself.
Do you feel that living in the present is something you need to work on? Do you think such a reminder will help you to live a more present life?
Weren’t able to make it to Blissdom this year? You can get access to the recorded sessions here!
Photo: Evil Erin
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