This is a photo of me and my grandmother, who is currently living through the last days of her life. It’s been a heart-wrenching experience to know that her days are numbered and it reminds me to be grateful for the time that I have with the people I love. It also reminds me that time is limited and that we have no choice but to cherish it, or waste it away.
I have said for a while now that my greatest fear is time. But I think it’s worth diving deeper into that. So, what does Google say time actually is? Here’s its definition:
the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
I think indefinite can be a frightening word with different meanings—it indicates uncertainty, for better or for worse. So, is it uncertainty I’m afraid of? Or is it uncertainty of the “progress of existence” itself? I believe its the latter. To me, time indicates that death is approaching, since time is most meaningful to oneself when we actually exist. Despite this fear seemingly opening up more and more questions, the passage of time—both present and anticipated—leads to a sense of urgency and motivation to achieve life’s goals, whether that be fulfillment, happiness, meaningful connection, purpose, or meaning. No matter where we are headed, the clock is ticking.
If time was meaningless, I would have an infinite amount of time to do an infinite amount of things. But it’s not, and that creates a sense of urgency to “have it all figured out,” and when I don’t have that I panic. While I obviously don’t have it all figured out, nor do I expect to (I don’t think anyone ever can), I have found some ways to alleviate my fear of time.
I try to treat time like it is meaningless—or in other words, live in the present. This obviously isn’t a novel idea, however it is easier said than done. If we are so focused on worrying about beating time or getting everything together, we miss out on the present moment that might actually fulfill what we are chasing. Here are a few of my ways to stay present:
- Love the people around you, and make it known
- Embrace your passions
- Travel
My first way of staying present is to love the people around you. This means showing appreciation for everyone in your life, through the things you do and the words you say. While it sounds basic, maintaining meaningful relationships is a pinnacle of my life and keeps us all grounded. The second crucial part is to make it known. Make sure the people around you know you love and appreciate them! In my opinion, making your love known only has a positive butterfly effect. I believe this helps to positively influence the people around us, which gives us a chance to forget about time. Instead of worrying about what train to catch or what deadline we need to meet, we should be focused on connecting.
The second way to stay present is to embrace your passions. This is how I like to take care of myself. By letting myself get lost in the intricacies of what I enjoy, I lose track of time. Whether it be embracing art, expanding your knowledge, or learning a new skill, every person should find something they can get lost in. Our passions are our escape from the anxieties of life’s ticking clock—why not embrace their reality?
One other way I love to stay present is to travel. Traveling gives us a chance to see what else is out there, to learn about the world, and to expand our perspectives. By traveling we can be present in another environment that we are unfamiliar with. We can see what it’s like to live among a different culture. This informs us with gems that we can bring back to our own lives. Every individual has a unique experience; by exploring the experiences of others we can positively morph our own.
Each of these ways of staying present are important to my life because it makes time more meaningless. I strive to make time meaningless not in a nihilistic but in an optimistic way. It takes away the anxieties that may come with setting out to achieve things. Instead we may find that we are actually achieving our goals simply by focusing on and appreciating where we are in the present. By shifting our perspective, I believe we can all find fulfillment in the moment.