A moment in time

A recurring theme that seemed to pop up frequently during the last two months was the idea of moments in time. A friend suggested it as a topic and even though it is not an easy topic to explore, my inquisitive nature would not allow me to let it lie.

Our lives are made up of a series of moments, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Sometimes these moments present choices that will affect our lives in profound ways. In one moment, a relationship can start or end. Friendships can me made or ruined. In some of the rarer moments you can change your life (or that of someone else) for the better. Unfortunately lives can also take a turn for the worse in these moments.

It is only natural that we want the bad moments to pass swiftly and the good ones to last forever. We would like to avoid moments with difficult choices or, if impossible to avoid, attempt to make the choice with the least amount of risk. It also often happens that we are involved in moments where we are but witnesses or catalysts. It could be a pivotal moment for someone else and you are powerless to influence the outcome.

The question was asked: How do we make the (good) moment last?

Is it possible to make a moment last longer? I believe it is. There are ways to make a moment last longer in time, to make a moment last an hour instead of 5 minutes. It has to do with conversation options, how well you know the other people involved and how well you know yourself. But the idea I would like to explore is something different.

I do not see time as linear. The reason for this is that time, and how quickly or slowly it passes, is often dependent on perception. Sometimes an hour can feel like 10 minutes or 10minutes can feel like an hour. I believe there are ways to control how we perceive time. It is not easy because it requires us to me more aware of ourselves and our thought processes. It is something we can learn though…

To borrow a term from new-age and spirituality beliefs, I will explore the idea of ‘living in the moment’. I find it sad that good ideas and philosophies can loose a lot of value because of its source. I dislike the airy-fairy, not scientific, non-empirical assumptions that new-age belief systems make, but then, my own belief system is not based on a lot more.

Now, back to the topic of ‘living in the moment’. I think most of us don’t live in every second of a minute. Unfortunately we are creatures that get distracted easily. There are countless things that interfere with our thoughts and perceptions in the space of a second. It could be stress at work, effects of a previous moment in our lives, plans for the rest of the day, shopping lists or anything else that has nothing to do with the moment we are in. Sometimes the moment itself can present distractions, introducing thoughts that send you off on tangents. Sometimes these tangents can be meaningful, can enhance the moment, but they can also subtract from the moment.

The ‘good moments’ that we remember are most likely moments where we managed to put all these distractions aside. With no interference, we are able to enjoy the moment to its full potential. You can immerse yourself in the moment, use all your senses to explore the moment and find all there is to find.

How then, with all these variables, can we live in the moment?

To live in the moment takes hard work and practice. You need to be aware of the distractions and make a conscious effort not to indulge in them. Some distractions are put aside more easily than others. The easy ones are the place to start. Being aware of them and denying them access to the moment will make it easier to ignore the bigger ones. In the beginning this process could be a distraction in itself but it becomes second nature after a while. Focusing on the moment at hand becomes easier. Every second of the moment will become meaningful.

Do I claim I can do this? By no means but I am getting better at it. ;)