In today’s society, we are so focused on the future. As kids we’re asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As high school students, “What are your plans for college?” Then in college, “What do you want to do with your major?”
It’s relentless. It’s tiring.
Living life with this attitude of "what’s next?" stops us from living in the present. In fact, it has gotten to the point where the present rarely extends beyond three-second Snapchats or Instagram selfies. However, seizing the moment is easier said than done.
“Perhaps our grip on reality, life, is eroding faster than our ability to understand it. And we, in turn, are spectators of our lives that appear to unfold before us with the speed and autonomy of a movie.” -- Jyostna Kapur
It’s chilling to be called a spectator of your own life, an audience member even.
Shouldn’t you be the star of the show?
Don't look back and regret. Rather, look forward and change. Understand that time is complex. While it cannot be undone, it can be rewound and appreciated. Think about life before social media, before we were glued to our phones.
Happiness was not correlated to an Instagram photo's minute-to-like ratio.
Bliss was not dependent upon the number of views your Snapchat story received.
Being present did not require constantly updating your location on Facebook.
Instead, a beatific life was a simple life. We remained present through grounded and real connections. We saw time as it was: right there before our eyes. Past and future mattered, yes. However, we cherished the now and reaped exhilaration.
Now, I am not encouraging the destruction of social media. That would be ludicrous. However, consider how you use social media. Take Snapchat, for example.
Posting a Snapchat story is one thing; however, experiencing the story in real life is another. Invite yourself to be present and in the moment. Resist the urge to share everything with everyone. Consider putting your phone away. Time will tick slower and memories will last longer.
Earlier, I wrote that seizing the moment is easier said than done. Now I'm thinking: What if it's not about seizing the moment, but letting the moment seize you?
To echo the closing scene of "Boyhood,"
"You know how everyone's always saying seize the moment? I don't know, I'm kinda thinking it's the other way around. You know, like the moment seizes us... It's constant -- the moment. It's just... It's like it's always right now."'
If you think about it, it is always right now.
Refuse to be haunted by the past, and resist the urge to focus solely on the future. Instead, let the moment seize you and truly cherish the now.
A present life is happy life.
