I’m coming to understand one of the greatest bi-products of change is authenticity.

Without transformation—without that blind trust that you will be supported and provided for when you step off that ledge into the abyss of truth—there is nothing. We’re beings of energy, bodies manifest, made of the same stuff as the trees, the birds, the sea, the sun and the moon. We are movement, manifest. The antithesis of movement is stagnation, the refusal to grow and transcend—to evolve.

The refusal to evolve is the greatest sacrilege—the most searing act of treason—one can commit against one’s existence. It is the ultimate act of disrespect.

When we do take that leap, light comes crashing through. Where once we saw only darkness and uncertainty, we now see uncharted territory waiting to be carved and created. We see endless possibilities. We see impossibly distant horizons that are somehow now within our reach.

“Where there was darkness, now only light.”

~ Clutch

But how do we forge forward without becoming completely overwhelmed by all of this possibility? How do we not lose ourselves to the sweet symphony of shapelessness and the next epic unwritten chapter of our existence?

We engage in one of the most difficult but absolutely necessary practices: we remain present.

We come into it when we need to, when the situation absolutely calls for it. We create a mantra: “I’m doing exactly what I need to be doing right now. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, and this present moment is the only one that matters because it’s the only one that truly exists. And staying in this present moment is how I’m going to move and flow through everything that’s changing right now.”

We create awareness and small actions. We watch our energy leaks. We retain our power by giving it to ourselves first and then letting it flow. We strive for the balance between loving ourselves, first and foremost and with complete, unconditional abandon, and then allowing that love to extend to other vibrational matches. We practice unconditional receiving balanced with unconditional giving, in whatever forms we’re able to give. We find that flow, that release, and move into tension so that it can be eased and smoothed. We find ourselves there, in all the places that we’ve been afraid of, simply because of the unknown. We face down imaginary fears and bludgeon demons that just need one more swift, crushing blow from the gavel.

The practice of truly being present, of being one with this moment can be such a tedious, fleeting exercise.

It’s the one we practice least throughout our lives, but at the end of the day, it’s the one that matters the most.

Just like breathing, which we all seem to forget to do sometimes. Some people say that breathing is the most important thing we do throughout the day, and that’s an absolute truth. I’ve had trouble breathing ever since I was younger, and over the past few months, that issue has resurfaced. It always does when I’m dealing with high amounts of stress or anxiety; I handle those demons SO much better than I used to but still, they come crawling, and when they do, the fear of going all the way back down that black hole creeps with them, and that fear is the true, raging source of the anxiety, the breathlessness.

But we never go back down as far as we did before, and we know that. Releasing that fear, that stronghold on our hearts and minds, is what frees us to grow and blossom and become more of what we have the potential to be. Rising above past limitations, hurts, scars and traumas is our true calling—those ghosts are our Goliath’s, and we’re given the chance, over and over again, to take the giant down.

Shedding our skin is one of the most vulnerable acts we’ll ever engage in. Some of us prefer to stay swaddled in stagnation while others try releasing this protective covering prematurely. The journey of life is finding the balance between hibernation and emergence; between hiding and showing our faces, our true faces. We all have masks that are convenient and easy to hide behind, but true connection lies in the act of removing those facades and inspiring others to do the same. Authenticity is contagious, and true authenticity is the savior of the spirit.

Remaining in the present moment brings us closer to ourselves. It yanks us out of our heads and re-centers us in our hearts—the throne room of our source—and that is where we will always find our truth.

We need look no further than this moment, this breath, this heartbeat: Be Here Now!

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Ed: Kate Bartolotta