Being present should not be complicated

I was on vacation with family and friends. There were evenings when we were just sitting outside, talking, and enjoying the weather and atmosphere. There were no smartphones within reach. In my mind, these were the moments I would think back to.

Through social media and countless videos I consumed on digital minimalism, meditation, and living a good life, I was led to believe that I should enjoy these moments by being present. This is obvious. I should be right there, being attentive, experiencing the best episodes life has to offer, not being somewhere else with my thoughts.

The actual experience

I was leaning back in my chair, realizing that this was such a moment. Following this realization, many other thoughts crossed my mind: This will pass. I want to capture it. I want to live it fully. Will this eventually be the last occasion when we all sit together in such a good mood? I want to be present, observing every detail. I was almost sad that it would be over soon. Like a bystander fumbling in panic for his camera during a special event, I wanted to capture the moment as best I could.

Instead of just being there, I had all these other thoughts that had nothing to do with actually being present. I felt a tinge of melancholy, mourning every second that passed. This could not be right. Knowing that 'being present' was a thing at all, I wanted to approach it methodically. I was focused on maximizing the intensity of my experience instead of just letting it happen. 'Letting it happen' is the keyword here. Maybe just letting it play out is the best thing we can do because every additional thought diverts attention from the present.