Practicing The Principle Of Presence

Practicing the Principle of Presence

In the movie Harvey, Elwood P. Dowd is a man whose family tries to commit him to a mental asylum for believing in a large, invisible rabbit.

But Elwood proves to be saner than anyone. That’s because despite his odd ways, he understands the principle of presence. No matter who he meets, that person is the most important person in the world. He puts people at ease, makes them feel important, and invites virtually everyone over for dinner.

Most people live life somewhere else. The past. The future. They’re distracted by paying bills, or measuring up, or fitting in. So it’s no wonder that other people are mere objects to be ignored or obstacles they trip over on their way to nowhere.

The life that matters is lived in no other place than here. Now. With you. Practice the principle of presence, and let the rest of the world live in the asylum.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” —Matthew 6:34