Just home from a long weekend trip in New Mexico. Wonderful place. Superb company.

I’ve been thinking a lot of about presence, about consciously taking up space in the world. By this, I mean projecting a bigger aura of energy out into the world. You can think of presence as having the “it” factor, the je ne sais quoi that makes someone really attractive, or the kind of energy that draws attention when it enters a room.

So as my trip began, I was conscious of how I walked through the airport (with shoulders straight and back) and I made an effort to smile more. All of this felt good, but having presence is really more of a”being” state than a “doing” state. I played with the idea of extending my energy field (which usually envelopes my body and projects outward about a foot or two) twenty feet around me. If this sounds strange, all it really requires is a little bit of focus and a drop of imagination.

The reason for expanding your presence is simple: If you want to live in abundance, you must be a vibrational match for abundance. Nothing more. Nothing less. But to live in abundance, you have to be willing to take up some space in the world. You have to project a big, open, attractive energy. Staying small and hiding is not an option.

You can either be the person who gets lost in the crowd, or you can be the person that draws eyes and attention. It’s up to you — this is absolutely a choice — but the  catch is that in order to expand, you have to be willing to be seen. For many people, this brings up some discomfort, but if you can get past that, life can become downright cool.

I can’t say that I noticed people falling over themselves to help me or behaving much differently around me in the airport. This was okay, I was projecting a bigger energy to feel more aligned, not to change other people’s behavior. Yet I was looking for some feedback as well.

On the plane I ordered a beer to celebrate the start of the trip. A $5 Heineken. It was cold and lovely. I nursed it for close to an hour. I began contemplating whether to have another as I raised the can to my mouth and swallowed the last sip. As I returned the empty to the tray, the flight attendant appeared behind me. She picked up my empty can and replaced it with a full one. 

Surprised at her telepathy and her timing, I thanked her and began to reach for my wallet. She shook her head, smiled warmly, and disappeared.

Sure, it was just $5 beer. 

But in that moment, I felt like a king. 

More of this, please.