The ongoing choice to meet each moment with awareness and respond with deliberate intention.
Most of life’s challenging moments don’t arrive with warning.
They show up unexpectedly — in tense conversations, stressful meetings, difficult decisions, and everyday frustrations.
In those moments, most people react.
But a different possibility always exists.
A pause.
A breath.
A shift in awareness.
That shift is the difference between reacting to life and consciously shaping it.
It’s a guiding principle at the heart of reMARKable Coaching:
Live with Presence. Create with Intention.
At the center of this principle is The Presence–Intention Practice.
Presence allows us to see the moment clearly.
Intention guides what we choose to create next.
Presence grounds us in awareness.
Intention moves us into deliberate action.
Together, they form a practice — one that invites us to move through life with greater clarity, purpose, and choice.
| Presence in the Moment | Intention in Action |
| Notice what is actually happening. | Choose how you want to respond. |
| Pause the automatic reaction. | Take a deliberate action. |
| Observe emotions without being controlled by them. | Channel energy toward a constructive outcome. |
| Listen to understand the situation. | Decide what result you want to create. |
| Accept the moment as it is. | Shape what happens next. |
This practice may sound simple, but it’s not automatic. In everyday moments, we always have a choice: react without awareness… or practice presence and respond with intention.
Here are a few examples. As you read through each one, remember:
The situation may change.
The practice stays the same.
~ When a Conversation Turns Heated
A conversation becomes tense. Voices rise. Both people begin defending their position instead of listening.
In moments like this, the instinct is to react — to interrupt, defend, or try to prove your point. Presence invites a pause. Instead of escalating the argument, you notice what’s actually happening: the tension in the room, the emotion underneath the words, and the pull to be right.
From that awareness, a different choice becomes possible. Instead of reacting, you shift the conversation. “Help me understand what you’re feeling right now.” The goal changes from winning the moment to repairing the connection.
~ When Your Mind Says You’re Not Good Enough
You fall out of a pose in yoga. Immediately, your mind jumps in and says, I should be better than this.
It’s easy to get caught in the judgment and frustration that follow. Presence interrupts that spiral. You notice the thought without attaching to it and return your attention to the breath.
From there, intention reshapes the moment. Instead of forcing the pose or criticizing yourself, you move with curiosity and steadiness. The practice becomes about awareness, not perfection.
~ When a Child Melts Down in Public
A child melts down in the middle of the grocery store. Every eye in the aisle seems to turn in your direction.
Embarrassment and frustration can easily take over. Presence creates a pause. Instead of reacting to the scene, you recognize what’s really happening: a child overwhelmed by emotions they don’t yet know how to manage.
From that awareness, intention guides the response. You kneel down, soften your voice, and reconnect before correcting. The moment shifts from control to connection.
~ When a Team Member Keeps Missing the Mark
A team member repeatedly misses deadlines. Frustration begins to build.
The easy reaction is to assume disengagement or lack of effort. Presence slows that assumption down. You step back and ask yourself a better question: What might I be missing here?
That awareness opens the door for a different conversation. Instead of blame, you lead with curiosity. “Walk me through what’s getting in the way.” Often, the real issue surfaces — unclear priorities, competing demands, or lack of support.
~ When a Meeting Starts Spiraling
A cross-functional team meeting begins to drift. Conversations overlap. Competing agendas take over.
In moments like this, people often add more noise to the room. Presence notices the energy instead. You recognize that the group has lost clarity.
From there, intention steps in. You pause the conversation and reset the focus. “Let’s stop for a moment. What problem are we actually trying to solve?” Suddenly, the room realigns around a shared objective.
~ When Family Decisions Get Complicated
Adult siblings gather to discuss care for aging parents. Opinions differ, and emotions run high.
It’s easy for conversations like this to turn into arguments about who is right. Presence creates space to recognize what lies beneath the disagreement: love, fear, responsibility, and concern for the future.
From that awareness, intention redirects the conversation. The focus shifts from individual positions to a shared purpose — what truly serves Mom and Dad.
~ When You Reach a Career Crossroads
At some point, many of us reach a moment where our career path no longer feels aligned.
The instinct is often to ignore the signal or rush toward the next opportunity. Presence invites something different. You pause long enough to sit honestly with the question: What life am I actually being called toward?
From there, intention shapes the next step. Instead of drifting into the future, you begin to design it deliberately. That’s where new paths begin.
The Moment That Changes Everything
Life constantly presents moments that invite reaction.
But when we commit to The Presence–Intention Practice, those moments become opportunities for something more powerful.
Presence anchors us in the truth of the moment.
Intention shapes what we choose to create next.
Presence shows us where we are.
Intention determines where we go next.
When we practice both, life stops feeling like something happening to us.
And starts becoming something we create.
Live with Presence. Create with Intention.
Mark Alan Fish 
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