My wife’s birthday was in March, and before it, I asked her what she wanted. She said she wanted a vacation she didn’t have to plan. If you don’t know my wife, she’s the planner in our family. We travel a lot, and she’s always the one who organizes everything.

About a decade ago, a friend mentioned Sedona, Arizona, and we’d never been, so that’s where I decided we would go.

One of the things that surprised me about Sedona was how it brought a sense of presence to both of us. I found myself putting my phone away more often than I have in a long time, aside from taking photos.

I was the embodiment of presence.

For Christmas, I asked for an amazing book: Presence-Based Coaching by Doug Silsbe (rest in peace). Doug defines presence as:

I'm still processing the experience, but I have some initial thoughts:

We talk about being present like it's something we achieve. That's not what happened in Sedona. Presence just showed up, the way it does when we aren't trying to force it.

I believe the work isn't getting better at being present. The real work is noticing what we're doing that keeps it at bay and adjusting.

✌️

-Kevin Oldham
Founder @ Diffactory​

P.S.: I can’t recommend Sedona enough. It’s absolutely beautiful. If you have any questions, hit me up via reply here. I’m happy to share our experience, plus recommendations for where to stay, what to eat, and where to go.

We’ll definitely be back soon.