This may seem like a weird title but there is so much to it. When you first read it you may be thinking, if I am somewhere, I Am there... that is partially correct. You are truly there in the physical. The issue is you not being there mentally or spiritually.
No matter what we do or how hard we try we get distracted. That is just the way we are wired. Our brain follow where I eyes are, so that shiny object that we see over the person's shoulder that you are talking to, now grabs our attention and we focus on that and loose focus on our conversation. Or even worse, they person that is talking says something that triggers a thought, whether it is a memory or something that still have to do, but once again we loose focus. Believe it or not, distractions can also happen in church. We may be listening to a great sermon and then the Pastor pronounces something weird or says something that makes us think of something else. Now these things I just mentioned are assuming that we were paying attention in the first place. We may have come to church just to observe people and be seen and never connected spiritually to what was being said.
It may seem that by saying all of this that I am contradicting myself as far as being where we are mentally or spiritually. I am not. What I am saying is that distraction are going to happen it is what you do when they happen. So if you are out with the family or friends having a good time and a thought that has nothing to do with where you are or who you are with, dismiss it. That can be done (2) ways: truly blocking it out of your head and refocusing your attention back to what you were doing or take 30 seconds to write it down and then get back to what you were doing. I actually recommend option 2, write it down. The reason I say that is that what can to mind may be important and you don't want to loose that thought. If you try to just dismiss it, you never will because you spend your time thinking about it until you can address it. No matter what you do it will be on your mind. If you write it down, you don't loose the thought and you can safely focus on what you are doing because it is documented. This practice is good for mental clarity as well as spiritual. Spiritually if you are distracted by a mispronounce word... get over it. Have you ever heard yourself talk? If something he said brings up a different thought, write it down and come back to it. Once again you are not spending time trying to remember what was said and you won't miss the rest of the sermon.
These are my thoughts. Just be present with your family and friends. I know for a fact that being there completely makes the entire experience that much better. As I mentioned before, MAKE MEMORIES. You don't want a memory of everyone having fun and you on business call that could have waited. This is not the way we want our family or friends to see us. Be present with your entire being. They deserve that... and so do you.
Now I don't want to leave out being present at your job. That is probably the easiest place to be distracted, whether you are in an office or work from home. The internet, conversation with co-workers, personal business or just zoning out is so easy to happen. But in order to accomplish what you need to you have to focus. As much as we don't like meetings sometimes, we have to be present because there may be something said that will benefit you. It may not be anything huge but just a little nugget to help you get to the next level. Be present where you are can be very beneficial on so many levels. You can also what those who negative attitudes and know when to and not to engage, if at all.
I challenge you to correct yourself when you find yourself distracted by something. How long does it take for you get back to what you were originally doing. Does your family notice. Pay attention to all of that and anything else you can monitor. Correct issues that come up quickly.