The Art of Showing Up: Why Presence Matters More Than Perfection

In a world that rewards hustle over heart, constant performance over genuine presence, it’s easy to forget the quiet power of simply showing up. We’re trained to seek big wins, perfect timing, and grand gestures. But in reality, the most meaningful transformations often begin in the small, consistent moments of courage where we choose to be present. Not just for others, but for ourselves.

Presence is not passive. It’s powerful.

Showing up doesn’t mean having everything figured out. It doesn’t require perfection or a perfect plan. It means being brave enough to be in the room with your vulnerability, your imperfections, and your truth. Whether it’s for a dream, a project, a relationship, or healing, presence is what forges trust, fosters connection, and lays the foundation for real growth.

This idea has played out in my life more times than I can count. But perhaps, it started most clearly on a quiet Sunday morning in 2011.

The Power of One Action

The year was 2011. I had just moved from my hometown, Munger in Bihar, to New Delhi for my higher secondary education. For 13 years, I lived in the same town, studied in the same school, and saw the same people every single day. My hometown was more than just a place. It was a comforting routine, a community, a familiar rhythm of life.

But suddenly, everything changed.

Moving to New Delhi meant waking up in a rented apartment in a massive, unfamiliar city. From a close-knit circle of known faces, I was now surrounded by thousands of strangers. It felt like I had been dropped into a new world, and I was completely alone.

Then, something unexpected happened.

There was a knock on the door. Rather, a thump. The Hindustan Times newspaper had arrived. I picked it up and noticed a glossy magazine tucked inside, HT Brunch. Coming from a small town, even seeing a magazine felt like a luxury. In fact, anything free felt like a luxury. I devoured the content of that magazine with wide-eyed wonder. I was so impressed by the layout, the articles, the energy that I decided to write a letter to the editor. Not expecting much, just hoping to be heard.

The next Sunday, I opened the magazine again, and there it was. My name. My letter. My feedback printed, in real life.

It blew my mind.

So, I wrote another one. The following week, it happened again. My words were published two weeks in a row.

This sparked my curiosity. Why was my feedback, out of thousands of submissions, being published again and again?

I did some digging and discovered something unexpected: my Facebook account had a higher engagement rate compared to most others submitting feedback. I was unknowingly what the media world calls an “influencer.” The editorial team at HT Brunch knew that. I didn’t.

But once I realized it, I acted on it. I launched my own magazine. I stepped into my voice, my power, my presence. And that simple act of showing up, first with a letter, then with intention, changed everything.

The Courage to Build, The Discipline to Stay

Fast forward to 2017. I was deep into my entrepreneurial journey. But like many creative paths, it was far from easy. My website kept crashing. And the web developer responsible for maintaining it was a family relative, which made it tough to demand accountability. It was frustrating. I felt stuck.

But something inside me snapped in the best way.

I decided to take control.

With zero formal training, I taught myself how to build a website from scratch. I stayed up nights reading tutorials, testing designs, learning strategies. And finally, I launched Salis Mania. Not just a website. A vision. A platform. A dream that refused to die.

What many people didn’t know at the time was that I was going through an incredibly difficult phase in my personal life. Emotionally, mentally, even physically, I was tired. But Salis Mania became a form of therapy. It became my proof that I could still create something meaningful even when everything else was falling apart.

Consistency became my superpower. I showed up. Again and again. Some days were great, others were heavy. But I stayed present. I built connections. I learned SEO. I created content with heart. And eventually, Salis Mania ranked #1 on Google Search for multiple keywords. Financial success followed, but more than that, personal empowerment did.

Why the Present Moment Is the Only One That Matters

Beyond business and writing, one of my greatest joys is photography. There’s something about capturing a moment in its rawest, realest form that speaks to my soul. People often ask me: “What camera do you use? What lens? What editing software?”

Yes, the gear helps. But that’s not what makes a photograph powerful.

What makes an image truly stunning is the ability to be present. To notice the ordinary and reveal its magic. To see beauty in the mundane. The most striking photographs are often not the most technically perfect ones. They’re the ones soaked in emotion, intention, and presence.

Photographers and cinematographers are often mistaken for magicians, but really, we’re just observers. We are people who refuse to sleepwalk through life. We show up fully in the now, with our whole hearts, and that’s what turns a regular scene into a masterpiece.

The Art of Showing Up: A Lifelong Practice

To show up isn’t to arrive with perfection. It’s to arrive with presence.

It’s about being willing to say “I’m here” even when you’re unsure, even when you’re scared, even when it would be easier to hide.

Showing up is writing a letter to a magazine when you feel invisible.

It’s building your own platform when the world gives you a broken one.

It’s taking a photo of a fleeting moment that no one else noticed and finding truth in it.

The art of showing up doesn’t require brilliance. It requires courage. And consistency. And heart.

So if you’re reading this and you feel like you’re waiting for the perfect time, stop waiting.

This is it.

Right now. This moment.

Just show up.