Powerful Presence




I have been so humbled by friends, colleagues, students, and parents very kind remarks on my presence. I am deeply honored knowing that both my presence and absence means something. Presence is more than eye contact, articulation, posture, and appearance. Radiance comes from comfort and confidence knowing who you are as a person. Presence is the outward reflection of your inner being. I am fortunate and blessed beyond measure to inspire and lead others toward revealing their uniqueness.

The caveat to building a presence is time and patience.  If you are painfully shy, cultivating presence requires more time and patience. Work-related communications and public speaking do not ignite my bashfulness. However, I encounter shyness when I meet new people on a personal level. Presently, I am far less timid in an intimate setting. I have recently stepped out of my comfort zone, pushing myself out the door for activities and events that inspire me. Basically, I am dating myself. In doing so, I am meeting new people and expanding my circle. I embroider my life with positive people who build me up; I continuously re-evaluate my inner circle. This is heart-wrenching, but getting away from those individuals who put me down, judge me harshly, and shred my confidence is powerful.

Focus on Positivity
I am solution oriented. I do not focus on problems; I find the lesson and the silver lining in all things. Do not make assumptions; I am no Pollyanna. Failure is not an option. Never give up. Never accept failure. Dig in, have some grit and resilience. Harness energy from leveraging strengths. It’s a simple equation: when I am on fire, others will be ignited. It is contagious.

Be Honest
I highly value integrity and honesty and embrace conversation. Tell people what you are thinking. Honesty is refreshing. People will respect honesty and efforts to consider them and their ideas. Stay abreast with current events and remain relatable. I use an app called Quartz. It provides a drama-free summary of what I need to know to stay current and formulate my own honest opinions.

Trust Your Inner Wisdom
Inner wisdom lies dormant in us all. Pay attention to your inner voice. It is that gut feeling when you know something does not feel right, or maybe it feels right, and you just cannot explain it. Tune into that. Recall a time when that inner voice surfaced. For the sake of relevancy, remember a time meeting someone new, and you immediately connected with no explanation. That right there is an inner voice speaking to you. The gut is powerful, so avoid relying on the opinions of other people. Trust your decisions. The more I listen to my internal wisdom, the stronger it becomes.
Exercise:
Complete this sentence: I admire others who... 
I admire others who embrace their passion, show compassion and engage in deep conversation. 
Now reframe the sentence with I feel powerful when...
I feel powerful when I embrace my passion, show compassion, and engage in deep conversation.
We admire people either because of their remarkable moral or ethical character or because of their high achievements. There are many accomplished writers and musicians I admire, as well as community volunteers, and broad-minded friends and colleagues. Psychologists suggest when you recognize a specific quality in another person you admire, you already possess that quality within yourself. You already have a presence, you just need to express it.

My Life’s Lesson: When you treat yourself with honor, love, and respect, people will begin to see you differently. The true essence of living in the moment is that you are no longer a victim to your past or a slave to the future.

  • How does your presence improve the lives of those who surround you? 
  • Are you simply following the crowd? 
  • Are you just relying on comfort and complacency? 
  • What has your inner guidance been telling you?

From my heart to yours, may your presence shine in powerful ways.
~Audrey 

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