The first time I heard the phrase “Be where your feet are,” it was accompanied by a few well-placed and colorful “F” bombs while I was being yelled at in basic training by a 6 foot 10 inches tall drill instructor on the weapons range. On this particular training day, I couldn’t, metaphorically hit water if I fell out of a boat, let alone put M-16 rounds on a paper target at fifty yards. You see, I had just failed my wall locker inspection a few hours earlier, and I was worried about getting “recycled” in training and not focused on the task at hand. However, I wouldn’t fully grasp the concept of being where my feet were until years later when an Airman of mine almost killed me and several individuals due to unsafe vehicle operations during a training exercise as a result of a lack of being where his feet were.
So, what does “being where your feet are” really mean? Some argue it is precisely what the words state: being right where your feet touch the ground. While that idea is partially correct, the phrase is more directed towards the mindfulness notion of “presence” and living in the current moment. By living, I don’t mean just existing but being fully engaged in your surroundings (both mentally and physically) instead of being consumed or better yet, distracted by thoughts of your past or pending future. Again, it is more than where you are sitting, standing, or lying down. Being where your feet are:
- Focuses on being grounded.
- Engaging in the present situation
- Giving whatever the situation is your full attention.
I recently had a conversation with a close personal friend, and it perfectly illustrates the concept of being where your feet are. She recently returned from a trip to Idaho, where she participated in an event called, “Steel Challenge.” Now, I won’t bore you with all the intricate details of the sporting event but simply state it is a speed shooting competition with different standardized stages. Participants shoot at steel targets within these stages, which come in three sizes: small and large, both circular and rectangular. Competitors are scored solely by the time it takes them to complete each stage (by hitting all the targets), and the winner is the individual who scores the lowest overall time.
She emphasized that being in the moment was the key to accomplishing the task. She could no longer worry about the target she just hit, the time that had elapsed, or even the remaining number of targets; her focus, breathing, and concentration had to be on the single target in front of her. What makes this competition even more crazy is that each stage has a maximum time limit of 30 seconds. While she focused on hitting the targets as fast as possible, if she wasn’t in the “present” moment, she could have been easily distracted, overlooked details, or been completely disconnected, causing her to miss the targets altogether. I am happy to report that she did a fantastic job for the first time participating, and I am not going to be surprised to see her name on the “Rising Star” list when the “Steel Challenge” comes to your city or town.
If you still need clarification about what I am talking about, let me see if I can put it differently. Rick Hanson, psychologist, senior fellow at the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and New York Times best-selling author, said, “Only humans worry about the future, regret the past, and blame ourselves for the present.” That statement hit me like a gut punch delivered by Mike Tyson. Think about those words for a moment. There are well over a million species of life on our planet (excluding all forms of plants), and humans are the ONLY ones who regret the past and worry about the future.
You see, life, in its simplest form, is nothing more than a series of present moments strung together. One is feeding another, which feeds another, moving past us in the blink of an eye. So, if we look at lifeit from this perspective, the past is nothing more than a collection of past “present” moments, and the future is just a bunch of “present” moments yet to come. All of our life experiences, from birth until this very moment, have conditioned us to focus on the past and futurpresente for more than they fundamentally are single moments in time.
Why do you and I struggle so damn much with being where our feet are? Well, the easy answer is that we can’t help it. As I stated earlier, our minds are constantly being programmed, or better yet trained, to think about the past and future instead of being fully present in the current moment. Our tendency to remain anywhere but in the present moment can result for several reasons:
– Training: Years of military or first responder training have conditioned us to constantly scan for threats and opportunities for unconscious action. We naturally tend to be alert and anticipate unknown challenges instead of remaining grounded in the here and now.
– Social Conditioning: Today’s fast-paced environment rewards multitasking, productivity, and future planning. The priority of “what’s next” can make it difficult to focus on “what’s now?”
– Emotional Avoidance: Being in the moment sometimes requires confronting challenging emotions or situations. This avoidance can make it easier to mentally escape into memories of the past or future fantasies rather than face the uncomfortable realities of the presenthere and now.
– Technology: In a world of high technology (including social media), our attention is constantly diverted in different directions, making it difficult to focus on what is happening in the present momentthe here and now.
– Overanalyzing: Many of us have an unconscious habit of overthinking every situation and the possible outcomes. This mental noise can prevent us from fully experiencing life as it unfolds around usthe moment.
What if staying present is less about fighting these habits and more about recognizing their role in the bigger picture? This is a theme that Paulo Coelho explores in the novel The Alchemist. The protagonist, Santiago, learns that the key to finding his treasure is being fully present, focusing on the moment rather than getting lost in the past or future. Similarly, when we struggle to remain grounded, the lesson is clear: genuinely embracing where our feet are is to trust that the present moment holds the clarity and strength we need.
You are probably thinking to yourself right now, “What can I do to be more present and where my feet are?” Well, if you haven’t picked up on my constant theme, it is all about training. Yep, no big surprise. If we have trained ourselves not to be in the present moment, we can also train ourselves to return to where our feet are in the present moment.
First and foremost, it starts with breathing. Now, I am not talking about the breathing we do every moment of our lives; I am referring to attentive and intentional breathing. Specifically, I am talking about focusing entirely on your breath, following it into your body on the inhale, and then following it out on the exhale—nice, slow, deep breaths that will allow your body to slow down and return to the present.
Mindfulness practices are a great way to help reprogram the mind to focus on the present and reduce the struggle to be where one’s feet are. In addition to breathing, engage all your senses at any given moment and notice what you see, smell, taste, touch, and hear in your current surroundings. Engaging your senses can help ground you in the present moment.
Limit multitasking. When involved in a task, put all of your attention on that task. For example, if you are spending time with your significant other, children, or friends, enjoy that moment and put all of what you have into it. Don’t worry about what happened at work last week; you can’t change it. Better yet, don’t focus on what is waiting for you at work; I promise it will still be waiting for you when you arrive.
While there is a long list of things that can help with mindfulness, the last one I would like to share is the practice of gratitude. Take time every day to reflect on things you are grateful for. They don’t have to be monumental; they can be simple, such as clean sheets on the bed or the fact that you have a bed. By focusing on the positive things in your life, you can shift your mindset away from past and future worries and ground yourself in the present.
In the end, it comes down to practice. Like any skill you possess, it takes time and repetitive practice to become proficient. By practicing some of the things I have listed here or other mindfulness techniques daily, you will gradually reprogram your mind to stay where your feet are. Being in the moment will help you feel calmer, and more grounded and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.“
Until next time, struggle well my friends, and continue to be where your feet are!
Grim
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