Original Post: “Presence”

A present is something one person gives to another in celebration of an event, accomplishment or a holiday. Presents are looked upon as something that has a greater personal value than price value. They can come in all shapes and sizes, meanings and reasons. Tremendous thought is usually placed behind a gift. But in most cases, if you received a gift, it’s because someone see’s value in you as a person. Presents don’t have to always be given because Hallmark said so. The best presents are those that come unexpected and undetected. Showing someone that you care and that you’ll always be there might top my list of best feelings in the world.

I wanted to start off this post talking about what presents mean to me in attempt to make the post come in full circle towards the end by stating that my family and friend’spresence in my life is truly the best present of them all. I’m easy to satisfy and easy to please. My frowns are always temporary while my smile is practically permanent. This is all possible because of the presence around me.

I consider everything defined but never set in stone. We are put on this earth to continually progress and redefine. Competition is healthy and in our blood. Being the best you can be builds character and value. It is what drives this country. Set goals and cross them off.Just because you have already done something once, doesn’t mean you can’t do it again. Beat your own records. Compete against yourself and let the competition cringe and take notes.  There is always somebody out there that wants your spot. Make them work for it, by always competing and at the highest level. A day off puts you a day behind and now someone else is 24 hours closer to your spot. Make your presence known so when you leave the room–it’ll feel like something’s missing.  You’re presence doesn’t have to be words. Your presence can be perceived through observation. People watching you work hard, controlling the environment and taking steps in the right direction will come off as contagious. It’ll motivate them to do the same and use your presence as a leading example. You working in the present will lead towards a gift in the future. Live now, sleep later.

That’s my pep talk for the day. What I really wanted this post’s message to perceive though comes from my heart and hopefully will hit yours. I continuously talk about the environment around you. It’s the easiest thing you can adapt to for your benefit. You can take the environment you are given and change it into something you feel most comfortable in to give you the best opportunity to succeed. I do believe the people you surround yourself with have a big role in who you are and your value as a person in the future. Be as valuable as you can. Be worth something someday. Sell yourself to the highest bidders–to the people who want and need you in their lives the most.

I’ve always never cared too much about imagery. I care about having internal and external control. Being able to control what you can will help alter opportunities that are out of your control in the future. I received a tweet yesterday, “I miss your presence already.” I just met this person who I had spent the day with while celebrating Cinco de Mayo with the rest of my class of 2013. What this meant I valued and it lead to a blog post. I love to make immediate impacts but I love creating friendships even more. I had an early realization and acceptance that I can put a unique taste in people’s mouths. Some people immediately spit it out, some are on the border of whether they like it or not and then some get over the texture and love it. It’s a unique opportunity that has motivated me. I try to convince those on the border and hold on tight to those who accept the uniqueness. I’m still in college. I’m not worried about finding a wife. I’m worried about the real world yet. I’m trying to meet as many people as I can, create networks and form friendships.Because right now friendships mean the world to me. They mean more than the friend itself. I’ve learned in “Science of Stuff” that bonds can be easily broken and formed. I just want to work on the damage control and break as little bonds as possible while creating a few more along the way.

Meeting people can come easy for me. I can sometimes be a physical and visible icebreaker. Trapping people into your web is where it gets  tough. First impressions are deal breakers. Last impressions are where you are able to seal the deal. I just want to take the time to thank those who have been a tremendous presence in my life. My mother and father gave me the present of life. They also have given me the ability to make my presence known to others by allowing me to observe, learn and experience how it is done properly. Without these two there is no me. I just can’t thank them enough. My Manchester crew has become smaller as the years go by through the separation of college. But I consider these boys my brothers. Their drive for success has led them to succeed and is very contagious. They have been their for me during times where I’m not even their for myself. I’m a tough little friend to deal with. But they deal, and it is so tough to describe how it makes me feel. In Durham, I learned how to rise to the top and fall to the very bottom when it comes to friends. You meet so many people and you lose so many people a long the way. You learn through experience who you thought were your friends sometimes aren’t. You learn you have two groups of friends, those from Sundays-Wednesdays and those Thursdays to Saturdays. Your real friends are those from Sunday to Wednesday. 

Today, go out their and make your presence known. If you’re a nobody today is an opportunity to be that somebody people need in their lives everyday. Work towards “I miss your presence” texts rather than “I miss your face.” I promise it’ll keep you smiling for a very long time. Presence is a feeling that something is missing, something just isn’t right.I thrive on having a presence because it’s not always physical and it’s not based on image. A face isn’t the first thing thought of when your presence is missing. You’re personality, work ethic, leadership, communication and gift of giving is what is thought of. Make people need you in their lives. Put the people that need you and want you in their lives at the top of your list to form friendships with. Take the people you are with now and make the effort so you are still with them 10, 20, 30 years from now. Stop worrying about the future when you should be worrying about the present. Today go out and make a new friend. Start a conversation with someone you normally wouldn’t talk to. I’m sure who they are will surprise you. Give people time especially when they are giving you theirs. I’ll end this post with a cliché everyone has heard of, “Yesterday is History. Tomorrow is a Mystery. Today is a Gift, that’s why it’s called a Present!”  Also remember that it isn’t the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it.  Give more and receive less. Make today count. Have today carry over to tomorrow.

Go now–make your presence known!