Commodore's Corner

The Importance of Being Present – What I’ve Learned from Meditation

By CAPT Brannon S. Bickel, USN

Besides the universal leadership traits of courage and humility, Naval leaders must be able to listen and be present in the current moment. Being present builds the connections that we make with others. In addition to character and competency, connection is a critical component in the Navy Leader Development Framework. Our connections bring us closer together as a combat element, as a detachment, squadron, and as a Rotary Wing Community. Connections at work not only build trust in each other but also confidence that we will prevail when we find ourselves in a crisis. NHA is our connection between HSM, HSC, HM, VRM, USCG, and USMC. It is also our connection to the past – the leaders and heroes who have come before us – the proverbial “giants on whose shoulders we stand.” My relationships with our retirees from the community motivate me to be better. I certainly enjoy their sea stories but I am most proud to tell our story to them. Stories of the demanding work that you all put in everyday to fly and train with our Air Wings, onboard our carriers, destroyers, cruisers, military sealift vessels, and littoral combat ships. Stories about how we battled through COVID-19 to deploy carrier strike groups and an amphibious readiness group on time during a global pandemic. The mental toughness required to fly, fight, and fix aircraft on deployment without the previous reward of an overseas port visit. Sustainment deployments, unplanned surges in support of our National Defense Strategy, deterring peer actions that would threaten allies or the sovereignty of nations, and the freedom to navigate on the open oceans of the Indo-Pacific, North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Seas. This is all challenging work that has had a tax on our mental state. Being present in our daily lives helps reduce that mental stress and enables us to stay connected to those around us.

What are things that we can do to be more present in daily life? Personally, I can turn away from distractions when I’m talking to my spouse or children. If the TV is on or music is playing in the background, turn it off and be present in the conversation. I’m guilty of using my phone at the dinner table. You can hear the dialogue, “Sorry babe, it’s a work issue I have to handle.” If we want to truly be present for our family, it would be better to leave the phone somewhere else or turn on the do not disturb function. We can dedicate quiet time for reflection every day. What I’ve learned from meditation is that a simple practice devoted to a focus of attention whereby one does not respond to every itch, sound, or annoyance can have a powerful effect on one’s ability to focus on what’s profoundly important when not meditating. I’m not trying to reach a different state of mind or harness a new skill that will make me more mindful. I already have the skills to be mindful. I just need to be present and aware to recognize that I live life moment by moment. Meditating is being aware for a fixed period of time. The answer that we’re looking for is found during many moments of awareness throughout the day – being present and leaving our worries and anxiety aside.

Meditation helps me build the critical skills of concentration, clarity, authenticity, gratitude, and equanimity. These are qualities that I’m trying to improve. I think those are skills that would make us all better leaders.

So back to the question, how does meditation make me better – more resilient, tough under pressure, and lethal? Through the practice of meditation, I can slow down my response and allow myself to focus on what is profoundly important in the moment. It calms the inner voice that brings so much chaos into my daily life. I can filter out noise and act on the most important thing. The practice better enables clarity in crisis and drives a conditioned response like that first step of every emergency procedure – step 1: Take a breath. The more we can prepare for the day when we are called to action, the better. Building mental toughness is just as important as building physical toughness.

In a broader context, building combat lethality is a herculean effort, but a simple practice of daily discipline can have a profound effect on our individual toughness. That toughness builds as we train, operate, and practice our tactics, techniques, and procedures. Through repetition, like a weightlifter, our mental muscles are honed into precision, and we gain confidence in our ability to operate the next time. Those building blocks eventually turn into credible combat power and demonstrate to our adversaries that we are willing to impose a cost to protect the solidarity of nations, to strengthen alliances, and to protect freedom of navigation. As Americans, it’s more than our moral obligation. We have a direct and visceral interest in maintaining the rules-based order of the world and protecting our way of life. 330 million American citizens are counting on us!