Being Present - Conversation About Staying Present In The Moment And Its Benefits

This is the first of our weekly conversations about questions we receive or anything that may come up with regards to my videos and the work I am doing.

This time my friend Monika and I are discussing being present with the videos and how it translates to being present in the moment and actually starting to feel YOUR presence.

Neither of us have done anything like this before, so please bear with us as we are trying to get used to exposing ourselves in this way. 🙂

Read the Transcript of this Video

Hi, my name is Elke and I am the creator of freedomconsciousness.com and the YouTube Channel Elke Neher. My friend Monika and I are creating a series of interviews [for you] to just get to know me and my work and some steps how to work with the recordings, what it’s all about and questions we receive. For now, we want to focus on how to start with the videos and being present. Hi Monika, how are you doing?

Hi Elke, I’m really fine. I´m Monika and I send you greetings from here to you. I remember when I started to listen to Elke’s recordings about two years ago, I always had difficulties to be present for half an hour and every time after ten minutes I started to do something, to think about other things or watching the clock - what time it is and such things and it was a bit hard for me to learn to concentrate for half an hour. But today I can see that it was a big gift for me because it helped me to concentrate in other areas as well.

So basically nearly every one of us when we are with someone, we are not really present. Because the mind usually jumps from one subject to another; what is tomorrow? What was yesterday? What did I do right? What did I do wrong? Are the bills paid? And so on. The mind is always, well it runs 24/7. When we sleep of course it has to be silent, but otherwise it's just running and running and running.

So, when you watch the videos, trying to focus on them, and even in the beginning, if you only can, like you did, Monika, focus on them for ten minutes, but it really improves. You learn to be present - actually with yourself, right?

Yes that’s right, because I listened them ten minutes and then a quarter of an hour and then twenty minutes and it was always a big success for me when I saw that it was getting easier. It was a well-feeling for me and it was very important to do.

Yes, because - did you notice, that at some point the thoughts, the busyness of the mind, would become more silent?

Yes. That’s it.

Okay. Then you say, there came a ‘well-feeling’, so you felt good. That is actually it. You are present with yourself and then you start to feel your presence, because the mind stops running. And then there is more space between thoughts, right? Then you feel yourself, your REAL Self, who you really are.

In the latest videos that’s what I address when I have you feeling your presence - that is who you really are. The mind is not who we are, the mind is a tool, it just has been made to be the master. So that’s why we see so much chaos in the world.

We have the paradigm of sex, power and greed and as we are moving into a new paradigm, from the mid into the heart, from fear to love the mind has to be put into its place, right? And actually, I didn’t even contemplate that it is the case, but those videos, they are helping you to do just that: to move from your mind into your heart. And in addition it addresses whatever is addressed in the video itself.

Yes. In the meantime, it is very easy for me to move into the heart and it’s getting quicker, but it actually took me two years to get to this place.

Yes, because you get into the flow more and more and you feel yourself. It’s a process, I mean it’s not a race. I didn't get where I am now just overnight. It’s a process, I had to go through a lot of things, and everyone has to go through some things and it really takes a bit of courage, but actually everyone has to go through this process.

So, to start out to get back to yourself, the best way is really being present by watching my videos or other similar videos or even meditating, walking in nature. Being present in nature, not walking through nature and thinking about “Ohhh what is tomorrow? Or my partner doesn’t love me any more, what could I do? Or is everything working out?

Just watch the trees and everything around you and see the beauty - that is being present. If you go out with someone to dinner - be present with them, put away the phone and really connect with them.

It’s so easy, that it’s unbelievable - to change the world by only being present. People, I think expect something spectacular, when you say you can change yourself and so [you can change] the whole world. They expect something big and boahh and spectacular but they don’t know or cannot imagine to do it with such little things. That’s the problem, I think, with being present.

Exactly, it always starts with the first step and when I created those videos, I didn’t plan on – actually, when I started with the first one, it was just because something happened in my life and I was at the choice point to open my heart or close it. I did [choose to] open it where, I would say, 90% of the people would have closed it. That's how it started and I wanted to put that forth and share it with others.

I didn’t expect it to go… to have this impact it starts to have. Even being here and talking to you: that would be – well I am a person that always worked in the background, so I never imagined posting podcasts and go into the public…. So it’s really: we are all called to go out [of our comfort zones] and… yeah, it really starts with [as little as] being present and finding the way back to yourself, finding out, who you really are and moving from the mind to the heart – being aware, that you are not your mind.

That’s the first step. And then you will find that there is a little voice within you and it’s not demanding, it will not tell you what to do and what not to do. It just gives you a little poke or whatsoever and says: you could go there or do this… and that’s YOUR voice. It’s really [that easy]… the mind always says: you have to do this, you can't do this, it has to be right, [this is] wrong, good, bad, hot, cold: the mind is always harsh. Your [own] voice is soft and gentle. And when you start to be present with yourself, you start to hear YOUR voice more and more. And that’s really the start, yes.

And it’s the beginning of a big change normally. But the changes, you don't see them as changes, they come by themselves, you don't influence them really. I think, the changes I made for example in my life, I don't know, there are things I couldn't imagine two years ago, that I will live like this today. But I have not really done something to influence it.

Well, you started listening to your heart and to your own voice.

Yes and I took the opportunities I saw in my life, that’s it, that’s all.

Exactly. Your higher self and your guides will bring opportunities into your life, because they work for you and not against you. So everything that happens, happens for you and not to you.

So, if something is out of balance, it shows you that you are on the wrong path. That is what we have to see. And when I post those videos, it is to help people to get back on the right track.

It’s really a journey back to yourself. To [following] your own guidance - to be you and expressing who you truly are. And as we said: it starts with being present with everything you do and everywhere you go and just seeing the magic happen. That’s what you did, right?

There are so many things… for example: you stop to victimize yourself, you see that you are not a victim, but you can plan your life and you can do what YOU want, for example. There are so many things. You realize, that you don´t need material things or others. There are so many thing you realize in this time.

That is true, what you are saying: you are not a victim, which you are not. And most people don't want to take responsibility for themselves, that’s the real big thing we see, but they are called to. Everyone is called to take responsibility [for themselves and their lives].

But you really can influence your life, but do not see it from am mind´s perspective, because the mind wants these [material thigs], it always sees lack, it wants more. If you have a car, you want the next best car, and if you have that, it is not good enough and you need the next, the better one…

Because the neighbor has a bigger one…

Exactly. And this is what you did: you did relax into the process and into yourself and then you were asking what is best for you and it did come to you. Because the mind can really not presume what YOU really want. This is all mind games. All materialistic things [and desires] are mind games.

So relax into what you, the whole you, wants, and not the mind´s aspect of you and the doors will come, even if it sometimes looks different [than the mind wants it to look like]. Even if it sometimes looks like…well that is not what I want and then we close the door and if we had just walked through it, another door would have opened and there it would have been.

So, that’s the thing: it's not denying those cars and [the] stuff, if you open up to yourself, actually you can really have what you want. But as you said before, you realize that it is not important, it's just stuff.

What I did before was to see the door that opened and telling myself: oh no, I cannot go through now, because of the sheep are too small, the children are ill or the husband is hungry and such things… I can go through it later.. In a year or some other time… and so half of my life passed like that. [And then came] the first time I said: yes, now I'm following through [with it] and it doesn't matter if the children don't want it or the husband is against it – and I did it, that was it.

Yeah, and your life completely changed and now you are in a place you would never have imagined a couple of years ago. It takes courage to do it, but really: [then] the magic happens. And really, it starts with those little things, like being present and just see where it goes.

Of course, watch the videos if you feel called to [do so] or whatever it is: just feel the world, being here on this planet is fun and we are here to express ourselves and have fun. So, just really: let the mind be the mind and find out who you truly are and what you enjoy, not what you have been taught to enjoy, but what YOU enjoy. And really, your life will take off in a way you would have never imagined.

I think we are on a point we don't want to bore anyone, we want to keep this under half an hour, so we will be back with another question [and conversation] next week.

It was a true honor and pleasure to talk to you, Monika, and to share with all of you and I hope we brought some benefits or something positive into your life and please let us know in your comments if you like what we putting out there and what you would like to have us address.

Some ideas to talk about…

Exactly. So thank you so much everyone and we talk to you soon… Bye...

Bye!!!!!