We are already in May y’all and if we are not careful Santa will be flying around before we even realize it. Every year I tend to say, “Man this year is really flying by… I know I said that last year but truly this one is going faster.” It is not only me who notices; I’ve heard my friends, relatives, and coworkers mention the same thing too, so evidently something is going on. For the past week, I have been pondering on the reason why we feel as if time is leaving us behind. Although I won’t tell you that I have the absolute truth, I think I have come up with an answer that may interest you, but before I reveal what I’ve concluded. Allow me to walk you through what led me to my response.
About a week ago I had an emotional meltdown and moment of frustration. For the past month or so I have not been able to have a restful sleep, every time I close my eyes to go to bed is like a radio turns on and my mind won’t stop talking. On top, I get up at 4:00 am so I can be at work by 5:30, and if that wasn’t enough when I come home from work and it’s time to “unwind” the radio turns on and starts telling me the million things I should be doing so I can set a solid foundation for my life. In conclusion, rest has not been in the picture, and as a result, I genuinely felt like I was going crazy. Thankfully the people around me helped me remember that I am not crazy and have made it clear that they will help me fight this battle. I couldn’t sleep the night of the meltdown either, but the next day I spent the night at my friend’s; someone who has rapidly become a great support in my journey. Thankfully for the first night in many, I was able to find rest at his house. The next day when I woke up, I had time to write down my thoughts and talk to God for a little bit which led me to realize that we are almost in the middle of the year. I reflected on how crazy it is that although it is evident that the days have passed, in my mind it doesn’t feel as if I’ve lived 139 days. Why is it that when I was younger it didn’t feel this way I mutter, I remember that my summer vacations felt endless, but so did the school year. During summer I’d go out on my street and play with my friends from sunrise to sunset, and during the school year, although listening to the teacher talk and getting up early wasn’t my favorite, I’d look forward to going because every day it was a new adventure with my classmates. Bingo, I said, this year is flying by because I’ve been more concerned with what is to come than what is in front of me. Think about it, when we were kids there wasn’t anything more precious than playing with our toys and friends. Time felt like it had stopped passing, worrying about what we would do tomorrow wasn’t a priority, and every day was a new adventure. However, as we grow older the present becomes far less attractive than the future… “It’s time to be adults” -society says, and with those words, the magic of today fades. Making us forget that this moment here and now is a gift… that’s why it is called present.
Maybe you can relate my friend! not only as a young adult but as a human we are every day bombarded with fear of the future. In today’s world, everyone is winning except us, and that’s partially because of the comparison we’ve allowed to sneak through social media. In my case, few are the moments in which I don’t feel anxious about the future. Listening to all these “success” gurus, and motivational speakers led me to believe that the best moment to be alive was 5 years from now when I get to retire my parents, have a house with a pool, and travel around the world helping my generation live meaningfully. Nonetheless, the more I focus on this, the more my life feels like a heavy burden. I’d say I don’t feel enough if I could put it in a short sentence, and that feeling sucks.
You could argue that life will never be like when I was a kid. To that, I’d say you are right! As an adult, there are certain responsibilities we need to take care of. On top, life happens and with that I mean a loved one passes, the doctor’s diagnosis shows a growing mass that shouldn’t be there, or the betrayal of a friend hits you unexpectedly. That’s why I am not here to advise you on living the Yolo life where nothing matters, and you only care about having fun (kind of what kids do). What I want you to bring back from when you were a kid though, is the fact that you were present. It is good to have a plan and a vision for the future for it keeps us moving and offers a sense of purpose, but let’s get two things straight. No matter how good our plan is, we can’t control what tomorrow will bring. I envision traveling the world and hosting events to help young people embrace the life I believe God meant for us, but tomorrow I might get a call from the doctor’s office saying that my blood exams were misreads, and instead of being healthy I will die in a week. Guess what will happen to my vision board! It will go to the trash along with some of the things that hold sentiment to me but not others. This leads me to my second point. We are all going to die. Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but it’s the raw reality, and the sooner we come to terms with this the sooner we will let go of some of our baggage. Whatever is going on right now is life manifesting at its fullest expression, so take this moment in. Now watch this, I am not saying be happy because you will die. That would be an absurd request from me, for I don’t know the pains that you’ve had to navigate through. What I am asking from you is to keep in mind that whether you are in pain or not the air you are breathing right now is all you got. For yesterday will never come back and tomorrow is an illusion.
I’ve mentioned in a couple of other writings that The Climb by Miley Cyrus is one of my favorite songs. She explains that it’s never been about the top of the mountain but the climb to get there. After I came up with these two realizations the song immediately came to mind, for I quickly remembered that every step I take (every day I am alive) Is more important than any goal I get to conquer. So, here is my invitation friend. Dream big, ask the lord to give you a vision, and start walking on it. But let’s not allow these big plans to rob us of what matters the most… the present.
As always it is an honor to be a part of your journey, and like you, I am trying to figure it out too. I’ve decided that I want to invest my time in getting to know Jesus and what he is about. I won’t tell you it’s been sunshine and rainbow, but there is something about this man that has been changing my life little by little. My invitation is for you to get to know him… I’m sure you won’t regret it.