Chereads / A Compendium of My Thoughts / Chapter 18 - Living Life: The Journey

Chapter 18 - Living Life: The Journey

Some people believe that to live a proper life, one should just take life as it comes. They experience life's ups and downs and treat the imposters of success and failure all the same. This allows them the presence of mind to value all those currently around them and take in all the joys and wonderful moments life has to offer in its small moments.

Is this the correct or even a good way to live life though? I don't think so.

While some people may live their lives this way and fully enjoy themselves, reveling in life's wonders until the day they die, I believe that living fully in the moment causes them to lose sight of the future.

The future is a hazy concept to those who live in the moment. They don't believe in the need to plan too much for the future because they already have everything that satisfies them right by their side. I personally was a follower of this way of life for quite some time, and it has caused me many problems. While I did develop meaningful relationships with those around me, finding social and spiritual fulfillment, I often found myself falling short of them in terms of meaningfully accomplishing things in life. I fell behind on serious deadlines, or even worse delayed to the point of never started on personal projects that would've meant a lot to me. "Going into anything without a plan is planning to fail" is the unfortunate truth that those who live in the moment face. By living to their fullest in the moment, they are unwittingly yet inevitably making their lives harder in the future, physically and economically. 

There is also another problem with living in the moment. There are an infinite number of traps for those seeking pleasure in life's moments. These traps give the illusion of an amazing momentary pleasure, but are actually superficial, meaningless, and possibly even detrimental. Drugs , alcohol, social media, and even the design of ads and supermarkets to encourage impulsive buying prey upon the minds of those who live in the moment. Many of these traps have become so common that people don't even realize there is something they are falling for anymore.

If you believe you might be one of these people entrenched in living in the moment, I advise you to try and make some plans and think about the future, however painful that may be to you.