The Nows: Part 1-The Now-Now

Presence itself is vast.

To make the concept of presence more manageable and practical, break “now” into ranges that more readily guide your thinking, planning, and action. Here are the Nows:

• The Now-Now
• The Micro-Now
• The Meso-Now
• The Macro-Now

Today, let’s dive into the Now-Now.

It’s easy, and even fun, to get carried away in imagination and to travel through the rabbit holes of self-transcendence. One could begin describing it as that which you perceive and how you interpret the meaning of what you sense. Then move on to include that which you cannot sense that has an influence on what you sense. Then acknowledge that when you are truly in this “place”, you lose your sense of place and open up to become one with more than yourself.

See?

Although all this is probably true, it’s also important to pin the Now-Now down so it can be worked with.

The Now-Now is life in this moment. This is where & when we directly experience and engage with our surroundings. The following is a process that helps you show up well here and have a positive influence on the other Nows:

1. Notice what you notice.
2. Feel what you feel.
3. Find the needs and fill them.

Noticing what you notice is perceiving without evaluating. Just notice the sensation created within you by the sudden occurrence of a stimulus. (Laymen’s: Notice how your body felt immediately after something happened. I.e., You felt warm and fuzzy around your face and ears when you smelled grandma’s cookies.)

Feeling what you feel is taking stock and listening to what your body is communicating. Feelings are the motivational forces of of our subconscious. When you feel an emotion, feel it. Let your emotions steep through your body like a tea bag steeps in boiling water. Emotions carry information in the form of energy. The more profoundly the emotion is expressed, the more information you will receive from it. Once an adequate amount of energy/emotion is experienced/accumulated, it will catalyze action.

Finding the needs is allow yourself to be guided by your intuition when making meaning out of your feelings. If feelings are the motivational forces of life, then needs are the source of those forces. When your needs are met you experience enjoyable emotions. When your needs are unmet you experience unenjoyable emotions. When you feel what you feel, you are best served to next identify which need is behind the feeling. There are many needs:

Creativity, community, recuperation, autonomy, meaning, love, empathy, sustenance, safety, certainty, spontaneity, contribution

Filling the needs is pushing go on the strategies that you have identified as most likely to contribute to life after having listened to yourself.

When more of your needs are met, more potential is unlocked in the brain. More life is lived per moment.

A word of caution regarding The Now-Now:

If you live isolated in the Now-Now and lose touch with how your actions influence the other Nows (micro, meso, macro), you may become a prisoner to your presence. Stay connected to all levels from the Now-Now and avoid unnecessarily unenjoyable Nows in the future.