This week’s habit is all about presence. A theme that feels deeply personal and aligned with where I am right now, both physically and emotionally.
As I write this, I’m hours away from boarding a plane to begin the climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. It’s been six months in the making, six months of training, planning, preparing, and committing. The boots have walked countless trails, the legs have pushed through fatigue, and the mind has been tested time and time again. But now, there’s no more training to be done. We are as ready as we’ll ever be.
From here on out, it’s no longer about physical strength, it’s about mental presence.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve explored the power of gratitude, the importance of those first five minutes upon waking, and the quiet impact of our evening routines. All of these practices have helped shape the foundation I’m now standing on. The have prepared me to meet this moment not just with strength, but with awareness and intention.
Climbing Kilimanjaro is more than a physical feat, Every step I take up that mountain, I’m choosing to let go of what no longer serves me. Old energy. Old stories. Old limitations. Things I’ve carried for far too long. I’ve decided this climb will mark a closure a shedding of the past version of me.
Presence is powerful,living such busy lives we don’t do this enough particularly in moments of challenge, discomfort, or uncertainty. And I know there will be plenty of those in the challenge ahead of me. The altitude, the cold, the fatigue, it’s all part of the experience. But I’m not going there just to reach the summit. I’m going to be in it. With the mountain. With the people, our group, the porters, the guides. With the stillness, the silence, and even the struggle. I want to feel it all.
There’s a simple beauty in choosing to be fully present. To not rush the moment. To not wish it away. But to breathe it in, as it is.
Presence is my mission for the climb, and it’s my invitation to you this week, too.
Whether you’re climbing your own metaphorical mountain or simply moving through a busy week, try to slow down. Notice the little things. Pay attention to your breath. Be with the people around you. And ask yourself, what are you ready to let go of? How can you be more present?
