The Most Elusive Spiritual Practice

Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing - the world’s rarest butterfly.

My current and most persistent struggle is the struggle to be present. I’m not only dealing with a human neocortex that is constantly recalling and projecting. I’m also dealing with complex PTSD (constantly scanning for threats) and ADHD (constantly on the hunt for dopamine). Not being present has caused me to miss some of the biggest moments of my life. I am much better at presence than I used to be but I still feel like I’m missing things; not being in the precious moments consistently enough.

This is not a new thing. Every great spiritual teacher talks about the importance of presence. Yet we live in a world of near-constant distraction. Distraction is a trillion-dollar industry so there’s not much motivation to be present. Plus our brain generally loves distraction.

Plants and animals can only be present. There’s much to learn from nature but we still have a human brain to deal with. Thus, presence is most elusive; the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing of consciousness.

Thank God for the soul. The soul is constantly present. Not in a steady state (wouldn’t that be nice?!) but a returning here and now again and again. This is why I’ve stated that presence is the only true spiritual practice. It is from presence that all soulfulness emerges. Consider what I refer to as the Big 4 of the Divine: Love, grace, wisdom, and creativity.