The Power of Being Fully Present
The simple practice that made my weekend extraordinary
Quality time, greenhouses, and video games.
It had been a busy week—long hours at the office, even longer hours at home in my home office. My mantra lately has been simple: When it's time to work, we work. Flat out, no stopping. I can't say this method is necessarily sustainable, but life comes at us in seasons. Right now, I'm in a season of building—building my career and my future.
This week my wife wanted to plant flowers and redo the landscaping at the front of our house, so we decided we’d go after work on Friday.
On our way to Jackson’s, a local greenhouse, I had Teams and LinkedIn open, finishing up some last-minute tasks. By the time we arrived, it was officially time to stop work for the day.
Inside the greenhouse, we started looking at flowers and plants. Even though I was technically done working, I felt anxiety about things I may have left unfinished. It was an unconscious feeling lingering in the back of my mind. About ten minutes into looking around, I realized I wasn't fully present. My wife was pointing out flowers she liked, and I was nodding absently, my mind drifting elsewhere.
Once I recognized this, I paused to take mental inventory of what was bothering me. After a few moments, I realized it was nothing. There wasn't actually anything urgent left undone. I consciously took the mental box labeled "Work," closed it, and set it back on the shelf in my mind.
In that moment, I was reminded of Seneca's words: “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”
After that deliberate choice, I had the best time with my wife. Historically, I've hated greenhouses and plant shopping, but this time was different. I was fully present. We talked, laughed, and planned together about our home.
As Thích Nhất Hạnh says, “Life is available only in the present moment.”
The lesson was clear: life is best lived in the moment. If I'd spent the whole time preoccupied with work, I would've missed all those little details—the laughter, the shared excitement.
Once I decided to remain present, our weekend began in earnest. I made sure to work out, and even got to play video games with some friends. Everything became more enjoyable because I was fully engaged. When I spoke to my friends or my wife, I was truly present. I wasn't anxiously looking ahead or worrying about what could happen next. Instead, I noticed the small details, laughed at cheesy jokes, and made a few of my own.
I believe this is one of the best ways to experience life—to live fully.
Eckhart Tolle perfectly captures this when he says, “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.”
This weekend was one of the best I've had in a long time, simply because I chose to be present and active in every moment possible.
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What flowers did you choose?