Awaken... Reflect... Engage...

How? By joining the conversation centered on Living Life Now—hosted by Curran and Christy, your Guides for this Steppingstone.

Curran Hunter

Stepping Stone 18 Guide

"My name is Curran and few experiences bring me greater joy than picking wineberries and watching spectacular firefly shows in my backyard during the summer."

The theme of this steppingstone, “Living Life Now,” has been a precious gift to me because it prompted me to acknowledge that I have often lived my life as a human doing, instead of as a human being. Living as human doings—dictated by our restless minds to perform perfunctory patterns of action, is so normal that most of us just take it as a given.
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I realized I did not want to miss my life this way, though, so I chose to step into the largely uncharted territory of becoming present to my life and the natural world as it unfolds moment-by-moment.
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I offer the following story of being fully present in hopes that you will also contribute your thoughts, feelings, reflections, and/or experiences pertaining to our steppingstone theme of Living Life Now. My story began when I received a letter from a dear friend in North Carolina who gushed about the abundance of crystals and brilliantly colored stones in an enchanting natural area called Wilson’s Creek.

"Wilson’s Creek claimed me, drawing me, unequivocally, into the HERE and NOW."

I was so enthralled by his description that I travelled to North Carolina and joined him for an outing at Wilson’s Creek. Walking along the shore that bordered the creek, I beheld the clearest water I had ever seen, enclosed by majestic rock formations, laden with layers of untold tales. Most mesmerizing to me were the proud boulders laced with veins of quartz, as well as the variegated expanses of mica, granite and more beneath our feet.

As we proceeded to navigate the shore that was composed entirely of small glimmering stones, we stopped frequently to plunge our hands into these wondrous creations, gazing in astonishment whenever certain ones snatched our attention. We held some up to the sunshine after dipping them in the creek, marveling at the fascinating shapes ensconced within them, all the while enraptured in a state of childlike wonder.

Before leaving, I anticipated that I would claim some stones as souvenirs. However, all I wanted to do was revel in the delight of being present in the same plane of existence as these ancient artifacts of Mother Earth. In the end, I didn’t need to claim a souvenir from this magical place, for, in truth, Wilson’s Creek had claimed me, drawing me, unequivocally, into the HERE and NOW.  

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Christy Carfagno

Stepping Stone 18 Guide

"Hi there! My name is Christy and I am 26-years-old, living in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Most days you can find me trail-running with my two beloved rescue dogs or tending to my home garden while preparing delicious vegan meals, or spreading my passion for the natural world through writing and environmental education.”

If you only knew where my mind wanted to be right now… You see, right now, in this present moment, I have about ten other things I could be thinking about. I have two loads of laundry that need folding, I have a wedding to plan, I have dinner to make... And yet, as I sit typing this, I make the subtle choice to tune in to the NOW. I hear my dog softly snoring beside me. I feel the cool floor beneath my feet. I smell the freshly cut grass outside my open window. In this moment, I have arrived, and somehow, dear reader, you’ve found your way here too… You have arrived in the beautiful world of Steppingstone 18. I must say, it’s an honor to be sharing this space with you.

"I yearned to do something that would bring me into presence."

When I first arrived to this steppingstone, I was a bit taken aback by the timing of it all. I had just finished listening to a podcast that featured Eckart Tolle, who dove deep into the topic of creating “presence” in our lives. Moments after this, I began reading Steppingstone 18, and began to wonder if, perhaps, there was a purpose for this sudden theme in my life. You see the art of being present is, well, often very hard for me. As a fast-paced thinker, with a desire to drink in as much of the world as I can, I often find myself doing more than I can handle. This is because I have a desire to always say “yes” no matter what the question is. So often I find my schedule, stretched thin and full of commitments. I’ve noticed over the years that these exciting activities I’ve scheduled for myself sometimes lose their spark by the time I’m experiencing them. Sometimes I find myself in a room filled with my beloved peers and exciting conversations, but my mind has wandered onto my next obligation.

The first time I read through this steppingstone, I found myself deeply impacted by the text near the beginning that read, “Are you here? Are you really here in this space? I don’t mean is your body here because that is obviously the case. But are YOU HERE?” I had to laugh at myself the first time I read this sentence because, well, I realized I had been speed-reading the entire steppingstone! How ironic that I was so eager to get to the end, to get to the “point” of the text, that I was missing the message entirely. How often do you find yourself trying to “get to the point” in life rather than simply enjoying the present moment? While this was an opportunity for a good laugh, it really made me step back and dive deep within myself to question why my mind seems so eager to jump away from the eternal present.
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I yearned to do something right then that would bring me into presence. As I continued to read through the steppingstone, my answer arrived as I began reading the walking meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh. Kicking off my shoes, I walked barefoot into my backyard and began pacing out his walking meditation. The words that struck me most deeply came through in his last paragraph where he writes:

Each step brings a fresh breeze
Each step makes a flower bloom under our feet
Kiss the Earth with your feet.
Print on Earth your love and happiness.

Kiss the Earth with your feet! What a wonderful way to put it. Since moving through this steppingstone and integrating its principles into my life, I find myself able to create presence in virtually any situation. I’m certainly not perfect, but when the “pull” of the future or the past starts to tug at me, I become aware of what’s happening, take a breath, and sink into the space around me. What about you? What are your experiences and challenges with Living Life Now?    

An Invitation to Join the Conversation

We thank you for choosing to explore this steppingstone. As your Guides, it is our hope that this site will become a friendly space for cultivating presence through the sharing of stories, insights and reflections relating to the Living Life Now theme of this steppingstone. As a way to join the conversation, please consider posting responses to any of the following prompts that might call to you:

i-Are you here? Are you really here in this space? I don’t mean is your body here because that is obviously the case. But are YOU HERE? If your answer is “Yes,” how do you know? Seriously, how do you know? And if you are not HERE, then where are you?

ii-As a way to explore living in the present moment, explore the walking meditation practice described in Experiment 2 of this steppingstone. The idea is to walk with a relaxed smile and a soft gaze, while paying attention to the physical sensations of walking. Thich Nhat Hanh sums it up this way: “Walk slowly. Don’t rush. Each step brings you to the best moment of your life, the present moment.”  

iii-Dare to engage with the “Living in the Eternal Present” exercise by wandering outside until you encounter a tree that attracts your attention. Then, approach a single leaf on that tree and give yourself permission to marvel at that leaf’s generous network of veins, her subtle hues of green, her ability to transform the sun’s energy into branches, bark and roots… trusting that as you come to dwell fully in the present moment, your awareness and consciousness will expand. Then, when the time feels right, take out your journal and compose a letter, telling the leaf how you see her and how you feel in her presence… all the while bowing to the miracles of existence.

Use the comment box below to share your reflections!

When posting, focus on what you know to be true for you…