It is only when we are faced with a threat to our mortality that we begin to truly live to the fullest. When there is no threat, we bargain with time as if we will never run out. That is the ultimate existential paradox. But why do we need to frame it in such a binary manner? Why do we wait until we are forced to face our fears? Ironically, we are forcing and limiting ourselves when we exist within those paradigms.

Adding Perspective

Why wait until something shakes us to move? The true meaning of our existence doesn’t just start when time is about to run out. It starts the minute we are born. Phrases such as “seize the day”, “you only live once”, and “live like you’re dying” inadvertently project ideals on expectations of how we should live and can make us feel like we are falling short and living lackluster lives. Each minute we are breathing, we are living. It might not seem like much at times, but everyone has lulls relative to their peaks.

Thoughts for the Week

Nature constantly seeks out balance through the state of homeostasis and humans aren’t an exception. The pendulum is continually swinging. We won’t always be at the top, and we won’t always remain at the bottom (unless we engage in heinous acts).