The concept of living in the moment is one of great reverence amidst the human spirit.
It speaks on behalf of the enduring human goal to obtain control over the swiftly escaping
creature that is time.
To enjoy the life we have while we still have it.
Around 20 BC, a Roman poet named Horace coined one of the first recorded and recognizable
versions of a phrase related to living in the moment.
The phrase being, “Carpe Diem,” which translates into “seize the day.”
And ever since, this same idea of seizing the day has been expressed in various ways
as the concept has only continued to grow in popularity.
Very recently, it has seen another new iteration with the rapper Drake’s acronym “YOLO,”
standing for “you only live once.”
Regardless of how it is said, the idea of living in the moment is appealing and seductive
as it offers a way out of senseless living patterns that cause us to throw away our time
and neglect an appreciation of life.
What’s interesting though, is that regardless of its popularity over a span of 2,000 years,
living in the moment is still more of a hopeful ideal than something that most people do.
Arguably, this is because there is an inherent conflict between living in the moment and
human nature itself.
Living in the moment comes with uncertainty.
And humans have an exceptionally difficult time functioning with uncertainty.
Uncertainty comes with fear, discomfort, and a lack of control.
And not only that, but most modern cultures make it even more difficult by prioritizing
planning, organization, and strategy in order for someone to become successful.
But we must stop and consider what it is we are really striving for in this pursuit of
control and success.
Simply, we want our moments in life to be the best they can be.
But here lies our problem.
The reason why we struggle to ever truly seize the moment is because we try too hard.
We try to perfect the moment instead of living in it.
We work to make sure that it is worthy and refuse to accept it as it is.
We combat the uncertainty of its quality with planning and routine.
But in the planning process, we use up all of our moments.
Every moment becomes a stepping-stone to the next, assuming that what we will find in the
next will exceed the previous.
And with this, no moment can ever exist for itself.
But it is not hopeless.
The mere awareness of this conflict can help us overcome it and find our way back into
this moment.
We can use our need for certainty to be certain that this moment is sufficient.
More than planning, each moment requires an appreciation for what it is.
An improbable and astounding opportunity to experience life as something that can understand
the value of a moment at all.
The odds of becoming a human are one in four trillion and every moment we can say we beat
those odds is invaluable.
By spotlighting our consciousness on this thought, we can begin to live more and more
in the moment and reduce the weight of our concern for the next.
Living in the moment is undoubtedly easier said then done, but it is your duty to yourself.
If you are not experiencing life and instead life is experiencing you, this moment is your
only way out.