
From day to day, things have a tendency to stagnate; the ebb and flow of everyday life is blessed with normality; schedules form, and we become accustomed to the ease of life in all it’s simplicity; then suddenly, there is a shift, like the tide of a lake, thrust into chaos by the gusting north winds, or the snap of a stick, breaking the eternal silence of a cold winter’s night, waking us from our complacency, and like that, in the snap of a finger, we’re completely aware of the realization that our world is forever changed.
This reality reminds me of the Baz Luhrmann song: Everybody’s free (to wear sunscreen). The part of this song that I’ve always found most striking is the following: “The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.”
The truth is, the most consequential things, the things we believe will impact our lives in a significant way, like the day-to-day stressors that hold us hostage late into the night, are often meaningless when in relation to these truly existential moments. These instances are rare and unexpected, but they challenge our perception of both ourselves and the world as we know it. They cause us to shift our viewpoint, sometimes leaving us scarred by a blunt reality, one in which we can surmise that the control in which we thought we had was never realistic. The power we assumed we held was merely circumstantial, and never set in stone.
In these moments, we’re awoken from the mundane, and our ignorance illuminated by a harsh truth; that life isn’t so much controllable, but in fact unpredictable. To some, this can be a scary realization as it shakes the foundation of how we conceive our world. However, there is a beauty in the chaos, an opportunity to observe the world for what it is, and to take a more active role in our own lives, accepting that both the fair and unfair are two sides of the same coin, that good and bad are not permanent but fleeting, that the only certainty in a world such as this, is our ability to live completely and purposely within its confines, moment by moment, fully engaged, accepting what we cannot change or control. To cherish our time, spending it with complete devotion to one thing, being fully alive.
Our greatest gift has always been the observation of, and participation within, our own existence. There is something special in knowing that even in moments of great change and harsh truths, we maintain the power to be present, observe, and participate with the clarity that only these moments can provide. Hardships have a way of grounding us, while pulling us from our complacency, allowing us the blessing to actualize our own existence; providing an opportunity, a reminder of sorts, that life is short, and it’s time not guaranteed.
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