Airpods in and hat shading my face, I walked along the sandy shores for 5 straight miles, unaware, for the most part, of the overcrowded beach to my left, the seaweed crunching under my sand-filled running shoes, and the salty waves ascending up the shore to my right. For an hour or so, I truly felt present. I wasn’t looking in the rearview mirror or stressing about the future. I was lost in this presence of complete acceptance for what is and unbothered by my surroundings or the thoughts of what was or what will be. I was transformed by the calm tranquility I felt from the simple act of walking along the beach and listening to a podcast. Ahhhh, peace.

I’ve spoken to this before, but it is very rare that I feel truly present in a given moment. The future and the past take up the majority of my thoughts. I think about what I could have done better or differently, the goals I want to accomplish and the plans I want to make. Lack of presence isn’t always a bad thing. A brain consumed by the past and the future learns and alters, is curious and whimsical, reflective and productive. Busy brains get things done, but they rarely feel at peace or content with what is. And we all need a little peace sometimes.

My focus for today was presence of mind. It always sounds so simple, but easier said than done, no? I set this goal pretty often (probably because I rarely accomplish it), but what I finally took to notice today is that when it comes to presence of mind, I nearly always set intentions and expect them to harvest without action. I want the results without any of the work. For people with less busy minds, it might not require work, but there’s certainly a reason why there’s an abundance of self-help books, podcasts, guided meditations and yoga flows for the less calm of us.

Intention Meets Action

Today, I decided to follow up my intention with the actions I’ve heard are helpful about a dozen times, but never commit to. I woke up and pulled out my gratitude journal, expressed appreciation for my many blessings and hopefulness for a calm, present-focused day. Normally, I would stop here (at just the intention), thinking that the mindset and resolve were enough… They never are, but I typically forget about this journal and intention by mid-day, anyways. Today the “Sunday scaries” set in and I started to feel like a sitting duck for not ‘accomplishing’ much.

I drew back to my intention of presence and peace and, since sitting on the couch wasn’t doing much for me, I did 30 minutes of yoga and meditation because it seemed like the right thing to do. I wanted some exercise outside but I really (and I mean really) did not have the slightest interest in running any distance. I went on a walk, with the desire for fresh air, but no expectations. I ended up walking 5 miles.

Miraculously, almost in an effortless way, I felt reconnected with my inner self. I didn’t feel the burdens of the past or the weight of the future. I felt a calmness as the unknowing sand absorbed my anxiety and washed it away with the retracting tide. There was no uncertainty, or fear, or sorrow, just the calm serenity of my inner self parallel to the ocean.

I’ve already set an alarm for Monday: 7am morning stroll.