T.S. Eliot once speculated that if all time is eternally present, then all time is unredeemable. With every passing second, we move further on in our own timelines. And while this seems like common sense, the sentiment is not all that common.
Time is something that we often wish we had more of. There's always approaching deadlines, the sight of children growing up, being with people we love and the idea of resting comfortably in our beds. We often take this time for granted, and that goes without saying. Most of us are real time-wasters, myself included.
But, today, that’s all changing. I am choosing to live in the moment.
While this seems like something that will merely be a phase, I am fully committed to living in the moment for the rest of my life. Here are five reasons for why you should join me too.
1. Living in the moment guarantees experiences that will create lasting memories.
Recently, I went to my very first concert by myself (more on that here). Going to this show alone was something that I would not have done in the past few years, as I often thought that experiences should be shared with others. And to some extent, this is true; making memories is a lot more fun when you make them with people you cherish. But, this is also a very dangerous way of thinking as it greatly inhibits the experiences that you are allowed to have. By relieving yourself of this stipulation, you can expand the amount of life that you get to live.
2. Living in the moment allows you to open doors that were previously closed.
Similar to the first reason, making the conscious choice to live in the moment brings about new opportunities that would have never come by sticking to your new ways. A new mantra that I’ve adopted reminds me that you can’t expect to change your life if you don’t change yourself. If you can’t change your situation, change your perspective on that situation. You’d be surprised by how often this can help you move through life and grow into a well-rounded individual -- I know that it’s helped me.
3. Living in the moment provides value to the time that you have.
If we treat each and every second of our lives with an equal amount of value, the knowledge we can attain is vast. Taking the chance to learn something new is vital to the growth of the self. I’m not trying to be a guru, but seizing the day is something that we all can truly benefit from. Without making an effort to learn more about the people and the world around us, we could miss out on opportunities for personal growth and awareness of the way things are.
4. Living in the moment gives you a chance to be optimistic.
Realizing that things are the way they are for this specific moment and not for the rest of our lives is such a blessing in disguise. Things are the way they are, but they will change eventually, and that’s something that we can hope for. We may not know what lies ahead, but we can take solace in the fact that things will change in any moment. To me, that’s a really great way to just roll with the flow and place some faith in the divine.
5. Living in the moment revives your love for life itself.
While it might be easier to say that time is irrelevant, I’ve never been one to take the easy way out. By adopting this new change of perspective, life has become exciting. Every turn around a corner is a chance to make something happen, even if that something is seemingly small. There’s a great big world in front of us, and it is our responsibility to make the most of it.
Give it a try, for that in itself is living in the moment. It’s OK to make long and short term goals too; living in the moment gives us the fuel to reach those goals while simultaneously helping us find new ways to get to our finish lines. Living in the moment can help change us, the world around us and how we fit into that world. Be brave and make that change with me.
