Let’s talk about something powerful—transformation. Not the surface-level changes we all go through in life, but the deep, earth-shaking kind of transformation that comes when we suddenly understand who we truly are and our connection to everything around us. It’s not always a gradual process; sometimes it hits you like a wave, an unexpected shift that changes your perspective in ways you never imagined.

When we stop asking our partner to fix us and start focusing on our own growth, we’re able to love them more fully and more authentically. We can appreciate them for who they are, not for what we want them to be.

Being present is one of those ideas that’s simple in theory but incredibly challenging in practice. In our culture nowadays we’re often physically present but mentally anywhere but here. We might be sitting in a meeting, but we’re thinking about our to-do list. We’re at dinner with family, but our minds are replaying the events of the day or worrying about what’s next. The art of being truly present—both physically and mentally—is something we’ve forgotten, but it’s one of the most transformative things we can do for ourselves.