Stay Present - To Receive Unexpected Presents

 ‘I’m confused,’ said Rahul. ‘What’ll happen to my career? My plans?’

‘Yes bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘Have I worked hard for nothing?’

‘Even I’m worried,’ said Rakesh. ‘But Prof Vivek shared an interesting perspective. Let’s call him.’

Professor Vivek joined their video call.

 ‘Sir, we’re worried,’ said Rahul.

‘We made so many plans,’ said Rinku. ‘All wasted,’

‘Nothing goes waste,’ said Prof Vivek. ‘Everything is learning. It will all come handy later. I know you’re worried about your future. But what if I tell you that you could find more possibilities and better futures than you had imagined, if you stop worrying.’

‘But things are looking very uncertain sir,’ said Rahul. ‘How can we stop worrying?’

‘By being present,’ said Prof Vivek with a twinkle in his eye. ‘By staying in the ‘here and now’. That’s the way to stop worrying and making the best of any situation.’

‘How, sir?’ asked Rinku.

‘Remember the movie ‘Kung Fu Panda’?’ asked Prof Vivek. ‘When Po the panda, is confused, Grandmaster Oogway tells him he’s “too concerned about what was and what will be. That yesterday’s history, tomorrow’s a mystery and today is a gift - and that’ why it’s called the present”. It means that when we’re in the present, in the here and now, our worries disappear. Regret comes from the past and worry from our future. When we’re present, there’re peace and clarity.’

‘But how can we prepare for our future if we simply sit with our present doing nothing?’ asked Rahul.

‘Good question,’ smiled Prof Vivek. ‘You see, the future unfolds one moment at a time. If we’re not fully present to the moment, those doors close. When we worry, our eyes are closed to such opportunities, and all we see are walls and hazy obstacles. But when we’re present, we can clearly see what’s happening, and act decisively on opportunities as they appear.’

‘But won’t that slow us down, sir?’ asked Rinku. ‘Compared to those who are doing something and moving ahead?’

‘Actually no,’ said Prof Vivek. ‘When you’re present, you’re still. You’re at your highest awareness and concentration. You see clearly, act deliberately and precisely. You don’t react and mess things up like you do when you’re scared and worried. For example, while you worry about your future, you could be missing great opportunities right now - free online classes, mentoring and networking opportunities, new career options. If you’re present, you can benefit even from this situation.’

‘Hmm,’ said Rinku. ‘I’ll practice being present– to this conversation, to whatever I do– and be open to newer and better possibilities. No more useless trips to the past and future.’

‘Like I’m enjoying my chai right now,’ said Rakesh. ‘Instead of worrying about my next chai. Aah. Here and now.’

Pro Tip: Instead of regretting your past or worrying about the future, stay present. When you practice being in the here and now, you see things clearly and act precisely. You’ll get greater opportunities than you imagined.

 

Exercise: Ask students to pick a situation they are worried about. Tell them to stay present to the reality and not paint worst case scenarios or even blame themselves or someone else for landing up there. Just stay present and look at the situation as it is. You will find solutions. They can do the activity with another rpartner or a group.