This exercise is simple, if hard to remember when we are distracted. We try to center ourselves as we move from place to place, event to event.

We can say: I am calm, peaceful and aware of the presence of God as I enter this home/door/time/event. Using the ringing of the telephone or the sound of a text message has a moment to pause and refocus also helps.

If you have a time of day that’s particularly hard for you … which I nicknamed the arsenic hour when I was a young single mother … having an alarm on the phone to remind you to center can make a big difference.