Stop Running From Your Life
Harder, better, faster, stronger. Quicker, further, swifter, longer.
We’re programmed as a society to constantly be in the pursuit of something, to propel our lives into motion. Move, move, move. Let’s go, go, go. Consequently, whether we’re chasing our future or running from our past, we're continuously running towards something or away from it. We neglect what we truly want to do with our lives because we’re consumed with success and running towards what we should be doing. Concurrently, we dwell on unsuccessful relationships and our personal failures longer than we should, losing time as we attempt to flee from our inner demons and what we could have done. And while we’re desperately running on this hamster wheel, furiously fluctuating between opposite directions, we find we’ve lost touch with the things that matter the most — our friends, our family, our dreams, our passions. Days turn to months, months to years, and suddenly we’ve lost so much of our lives having failed to actually live it, having been thrown around like a rag doll, forcibly swept into the rip currents of societal standards and our own often impossible personal expectations.
I'm regrettably quite familiar with the ease of getting lost in the crowd and frenzy of life. I'm also uncomfortably acquainted with the impassivity of taking part in the rat race — filling your life with the trivial pursuit of material fulfillments and chasing down temporary highs. I've often likened myself to a shark, in that I felt if I wasn't constantly moving — that if I simply stopped swimming — I would suffocate and die. What I've learned, if anything, is that the hardest part isn't keeping up with the momentum of others — it's standing still and shutting out the noise, stepping out of stride and separating yourself from the masses.
Stop running and take a moment to take in the splendor of the world surrounding you. Life is happening all around you. It is chaotic but as stifling and all-consuming as it may feel at times, it is unequivocally beautiful and breathtaking.
Be a part of it.
Be present.
Live in the now and make each and every moment count because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Right here, right now is the only moment that matters.
I’ve lost months and years of my life because I was so busy running and failed to truly appreciate what was actually happening in my life. Living in a series of whirlwinds, I've often failed to see the beauty in people and moments. The most meaningful moments of my life were when I chose to be present and chose to be a part of the world I live in, not just the one I created for myself. The magnificence of the world around me sprang to life and colors became more vivid and vibrant when I took the time to observe rather than see, and people's stories and their individual spirits became louder and increasingly significant when I chose to listen to meaning than just hear words.
This is your life. This very moment you are breathing and feeling is what matters so stop running, stop simply existing, and start living. Go on an adventure. Talk to a stranger. Spend a day walking through your city and get lost. Fall in love. Because it’s only when you stop running and stop letting life pass you by in a blur that you’re able to revel in the stillness and see the maddening beauty of the world around you.
