The Tail End.

This post is brought to you by a YouTube video with the same title. By Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. No, it’s not sponsored, it has just inspired me. 

An impactful video as it stands, making me think about it weeks after having watched it. 

In the grand scheme of things, our life is long yet short at the same time. We always think about the things we want to do once we're older, once we have a certain thing, once this, once that... The reality is that, more likely than not that we would be working then retiring (assuming a retirement age of 65) and would miss out on the opportunity to do a lot of the things that we have put off doing. Life may be overwhelming, but it may be good to consider how much time we actually have to enjoy our lives to help re-centre ourselves and minimise regrets. I am a firm believer that you can both work hard and play hard. 

Time is limited, precious and a scarce resource. This has made me rethink the things I want to do with my time, especially when I find myself absentmindedly scrolling social media. In addition to that, it has helped me be present in the moment, especially the ones I know I will miss. This follows on from my last post in a way, both trying to get across the idea of cherishing the present. To really drive the point home, you are likely to have already spent more than 90 per cent of the time you will ever spend with your parents by now (based on a few assumptions kudos to the aforementioned video). That number scares me. Of course, I will try always to make an effort to spend more time with my family, but if the global pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that no amount of planning catches up to reality. And the reality is that as we are growing older, so are our parents. So are our peers. We are all growing, and will eventually take different paths. 

As twenty-something-year-olds, we are at the tail-end of the time we have with some of the most important people in our lives (with a few exceptions, maybe). One day, we all won't know when, but we might see someone or do something for the last time. Even if it might not be the last time, it will be the last time things will be the way it is in the present. All I can hope is to be present in every moment. I once heard a saying that goes something like this: 

Time is like a pile of sand sitting on your palm - the tighter you try to grip onto it, the faster it will slide through your fingers. But if you just hold out your hand, you might see things beyond what you have imagined. 

To be very honest, I am still processing the feelings brought by the video. I would highly encourage a watch (it's under 10 minutes!) for all the perspective-giving and assumptions-behind-the-arithmetics and hope that you feel inspired, motivated or just urged to do that thing you’ve always wanted to do. There was no ‘conclusion’ from this video. I like the open-endedness of it. It lets you decide what you want to take away from it, and the above was my two cents. 

Time is of the essence. So, what are you doing with your time? 

Thank you for sharing your precious time with me in this moment of reading this post. I hope that you've enjoyed it :) 

C x