What have you done that helped you lose track of time and feel present?
A lot of the stress in my life I’ve found comes from me dwelling on the past or worrying about what comes next.
But there have been brief windows in my life where all else is forgotten apart from what is happening that second.
And it’s complete peace.
Something feels right.
I’m writing this after just finishing watching Mid90s again, highly highly recommend the watch.
For the characters in the film that moment of peace is skateboarding.
You are emerged deep into the character's backstory and struggles so you begin to feel the pain they feel but also those moments that they can escape and you feel the joy, riding their decks brings them.
Gliding down the highway with the sun setting and their baggy clothes flapping in the wind, all their troubles are a thing of the past and all that matters is that ride.
You are forced to be present.
Why?
Because you’ll crash.
Similarly, for me as a kid, it was parkour.
I’m sure it was a way for my parents to get an energetic kid off their hands for a few hours.
But at the time it was everything.
I had to focus there and then. I had to face that moment and be present otherwise I’d catch some concrete to the chin.
Time flew by. I loved every moment of it.
So much of my early memories are rooted in that culture and I learned a lot from it.
What I get lost in now is screenprinting and reading.
It’s the combination of the focus and commitment it takes to complete them that keeps me present.
I can't tell the time when I’m doing these activities and I don’t want to.
All my attention is on them at that point.
I found something that made me feel lost in the moment and I forget about all the usual stresses in my life.
I didn’t know at first that these brief windows were so important to my fulfillment.
I started to observe what I lost track of time doing and held onto those activities.
I make time to do them more.
I feel like nowadays there is this push to reach a constant state of happiness. But I don’t even know if that’s really possible.
Life will bring its ups and downs. That is guaranteed.
I feel like it’s about finding those brief fleeting moments that feel like complete bliss and joy.
They don’t last forever.
So I cherish them and appreciate them whilst they last but I also take note of what they are and try to do more of them.
Try next time you do something that you lose track of time doing. Make a mental note to yourself to do more of it.
You’ve found something that keeps you present.
Replies9
- Walk my dog. I don't look at my phone and switch off. Enjoy the countryside, trees, green fields and looking up into the sky.
- @Linsey M thank you, I’m going to go do some of those now
- Running, Kickboxing, cycling, swimming, sport generally, gardening, having a brilliant conversation (with friend or random people), listening to podcasts, watching fun films, walking, taking photographs, working on projects..... and SO much more :)Great posts too, very thought provoking.
- @Anca Badita Ye that's why I'm trying to do more of those activities each day that I'm intrinsically fascinated and get lost doing. Will definitely give his books a read. Also found myself in a youtube rabbit hole yesterday researching the ancient Chinese religion of Daoism that a lot of these philosophies and teachings are definitely routed in. All very interesting.
- Hi Josh,It's funny you should post this because I am reading one of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's old books. He was a psychology researcher who studied the state of 'flow'. This a description of it from wiki:In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one's sense of time.Studies show that a person's quality of life is heavily influenced by how often they are able to engage in activities that lead to 'flow'.Here's an article that explains if https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/If you want to read more, Csikszentmihalyi also wrote some books about it. I am reading one of his older ones called 'Optimal Experience'.Happiness seems to me like a state we briefly reach in some special moments in life. Flow is something we can induce more frequently that can give us satisfaction and a feeling of wellbeing. It's probably more enriching to pursue 'flow'.
- @Nikki Robson that message makes me want to write more. Thank you
- Thank you for sharing this! It came at a very necessary moment for me and really hit home. It's beautiful that you've realised this and it's something I think we all need a little more awareness of. With that said, I'm now going to go and paint and lose track of time for a while...
- @Ioana Luca agree with every word, very well said
- I like your story :). I also don't think constant 100% happiness exists, and that's a good thing. We learn and grow so much from the 'unhappy' moments. There is indeed a real push nowadays to reach a constant state of happiness, or to reach anything for that matter. The focus is so much on achieving rather than the path to get there and enjoying the process. Then there's also instant gratification that we were all 'trained'to pursue, which minimises again the joy of pursuing a certain path until we actually get there. To be present in the moment is basically being in it and enjoying it, whether you achieved something or not.What helps me lose track of time is for sure doing things that I enjoy or that I'm passionate about, and some of the things that help me feel present is meditation, focusing on my breathing, scanning my body, hearing the sounds around me, all without judgement or attachment.
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