The other day I wrote about ‘The Slip’.
The next morning, I had a very interesting Slip.
I was in the middle of my morning practice (meditation, Qigong, yoga, breath-work, etc.) and so I was in my usual early-morning state of calm and presence.
I heard my son moving around upstairs, preparing to come downstairs and join me, as usual.
So I sat there, on my mat, preparing myself to be fully present for him when he came into the room.
I pictured myself disengaging from my own practice and fully engaging with him, as opposed to continuing with my own agenda while only partially engaging with him.
I imagined myself ‘putting aside’ whatever I was doing …
… and then I noticed it.
I was in The Slip – right there!
Imagining a hypothetical future moment – even if that is a future moment about presence – had removed me from the present completely!
I was no longer in the Now, and thus, no longer present at all.
I chuckled – what a funny paradox.
To truly be present for him, I needed to come back to Now, and be present with myself.
Not some movie playing in my head.
Matt Fried 