Now. Here. This.

How to be more present and focused, even in troubling times

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is about one way to become more present
and focused. When you're starting to feel anxious about the news,

(00:23):
or you're distracted by the myriad things you need to do,
start repeating this mantra now here this. This tip comes
from an interview on Christa Tippett's podcast on being Catholic.
Priest Greg Boyle, who wrote Tattoos on the Heart The
Power of Boundless Compassion, describe using this exact mantra to

(00:46):
help keep himself present. Now here this. As soon as
I heard these words, which also turn out to be
the title of an off Broadway musical, I knew I
had to borrow the phrase now here this. Like a
lot of people, I sometimes feel pulled in multiple directions work, family,

(01:07):
and the rest of life. These days, as my kids
and husband and I are all working and doing school
from home, I feel even more like I should always
be doing something else. We've developed some routines in our
household for creating structure amid the chaos, but still, when
it's a Tuesday morning at ten AM and I'm trying
to set up one of my kids on Zoom for

(01:28):
a class meeting. Well, I've got emails piling up and
the clock is ticking before the baby needs to eat again.
It's hard to appreciate my kid's joy at seeing her classmates.
It's moments like these when I need to remind myself
now here this. If my kids are excited about something,
or if I've carved out time to play with them,

(01:49):
I want to be fully present. It's fine to take
ten minutes to race around the backyard in the middle
of the work day. If I've chosen to read an
article or a book, I want to read it and
not be constantly leaping over to the news. If I'm
recording this podcast, well, best not to worry about whether
someone is going to bang down the door of my
home office in two minutes. If so, we'll edit it out.

(02:13):
If I'm constantly thinking about it, I'll be tense and
my listeners will hear that now here this. Of course,
there are lots of mantras you can use to help
center yourself and be present, but I find this one
particularly compelling. It's short, it's sweet, and it also reminds

(02:33):
me that the strange time will before too long be over.
At some point we will be looking back on this,
trying to reconstruct our memories of this pivotal time in
the world's history. We are living through a time we'll
be talking about for many years to come. And despite
the uncertainty about all that is going on in the world,

(02:55):
many of us are experiencing some profound moments that come
from being around owned at least our immediate loved ones.
Someday soon we won't all be eating family lunches together
on Tuesdays. This mantra brings me back to the little
faces shoveling in bites of mac and cheese. Now Here, this, ultimately,

(03:20):
the present moment, is all we have. We may as
well notice these little jewels of days in the meantime.
This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

(03:42):
hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,
or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook
and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's B the number four,
then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me
an email Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that

(04:04):
before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters, thanks
so much, should I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For
more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your

(04:24):
favorite shows.