Engagement Vs Presence

[The White Belt]

Hi guys.

So whenever I am doing enjoyable work, or having a nice interesting conversation. I feel I sense of engagement and it feels quite the opposite to presence. I can be present when i'm bored, say I'm having a walk, I say to myself; feel the air going through the nostrils, the pressure on the balls of my feet, look at the green on the trees. It's nice, but I can't do it when i'm engaged.

When i'm engaged time seems to go very fast, but when it's over I feel like I was barely there, barely conscious. Engagement is also nice though, it happens when I am comfortable and happy, excited and interested but I can't imaging being engaged and present at the same time. It doesn't feel appropriate.

Is being engaged being unconscious?

Is there a way to be both engaged and present simultaneously, or is there no benefit to doing that?

[Loreena]

@The White Belt  both engagement and presence are absolutely essential. engagement is like food and presence is like water. You need both. Without presence engagement is not possible. You first need to have presence of mind before getting engaged. The only reason you don't feel present when you're engaged is because you're so engaged that you are not aware of that presence. 

The only thing that you have to be careful about is to remain engaged in good things, things that are good for you. Sometimes we get engaged without realizing that the activity is toxic, example videogames or something that is addictive. Such engagement is bad. Such engagement is unproductive. So be engaged only in productive activities. 

I would say engagement is like the food for the heart, because your heart feels happy when you're engaged, whereas presence is like food for the mind because it keeps the mind stable.

Sometimes you do what the mind needs and sometimes you should do what your heart wants. 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2017 by Loreena
typing errors no presence of mind

[The White Belt]

Thanks @Loreena :-) 

[IVONNE]

This is well said. and i completely agree thanks!