Presence as a Response
I’m doing my best this month to practice a kind of tunnel vision — filtering out the constant noise that comes at us from every direction. It’s not easy. There are so many big topics vying for our attention, each one insisting it’s urgent.
But I keep asking myself: what kind of attention is really needed?
The reactive, fear-based, OMG kind of attention is exactly what those in control would prefer. But we are far more powerful when we can respond from a grounded, centered place. Beneath the smoke and mirrors, what actually matters? What needs to happen now to take the next step toward a healthier, more loving world?
Too often we’re tangled in the past or straining toward the future. In doing so, we miss the center of it all, the present moment, where love, creation, and possibility are alive and waiting. Instead, we get stuck in loops: blaming, overthinking, reacting. Politics and marketing feed those loops too, keeping us spinning with fearful stories or quick fixes that don’t truly move us forward.
Here’s the simple truth: the power is in the present moment.
When we dwell on the past trying to untangle it or when we live in the future, bracing for what might happen, we lose our footing. Our nervous system gets hijacked. The mind loops, and we feel stuck.
But what if we tried something different? What if we took a more compassionate view of the past, used our future dreaming as a guide, and rooted ourselves firmly and lovingly here in the now?
Because the present is where life actually happens. When we center ourselves in loving presence, we activate flow, a natural chemistry of creation that arises from love, not fear. Imagine that: creating from love. No blame, no stories of doom, no false fixes. Just the pure, powerful energy of being here.
This is where the magic happens.
When we align with love in the present, we stop fighting imaginary battles and start moving with intention. Blame fades. Fear loosens its grip. The nervous system can finally rest. Loving presence is both practical and miraculous. It keeps us grounded in reality while opening us to possibility.
From this place, creativity flows. When I paint, I feel it—that seamless blending of heart and hand, being and doing. But it’s not limited to art. It’s available in daily life too—cooking dinner, holding a conversation, planting a seed. Wherever we are, the flow can meet us there.
So, let me ask you: What does now feel like when you meet it with love? Can you hold both the fullness of what is and the excitement of what’s possible in this very moment? Maybe your first step is simply opening to the possibility that this is available to you.
Start there.
It’s a journey, and the journey is our life. From where I stand, I can tell you it’s absolutely worth the effort.
This is the alchemy of loving presence. And it’s from here that we create a life that feels right, whole, and deeply our own.
This is a post from my Substack site. If you’d like to read my weekly reflections, do check it out. You may subscribe for free to receive new posts directly to you inbox (usually each Sunday). Suzanne’s Substack - Staying Wild, Being Free.
