We live in such a fast-paced world. A world that is constantly craving more and more things, faster and faster. A world that is always looking forward and is never content with sitting in the present moment.
I don’t want to be like the world.
I want to live life in the present.
What does this look like for me?
- Slowing down to notice God’s light instead of just scrolling past it.
- Letting my light shine not for attention, but to showcase Jesus’ love.
- Choosing peace over pace.
- Being a lantern, not a flashbulb — steady, warm, and constant.
It’s easy to say that I want to become those things, but it’s harder to put it into consistent action. Here are things I am doing to help myself live more present:
- Getting rid of social media’s constant buzz by deleting accounts.
- Reading slowly.
- Going places phone-free.
- Sitting in nature.
- Turning off phone notifications.
- Talking to strangers.
- Closing my eyes and being ultra-aware of my surroundings.
Things that take me out of being present:
- Social media.
- Phone notifications.
- Being self-centered and in my head all of the time.
- Busyness.
- Not allowing time in the day to pause and rest.
Life is SO MUCH MORE than snaps, reels, work, school and deadlines. Life is about adventure, love, bravery, joy, pain, sadness and heartache. Life consists of everything that resides in movies and novels. The way you experience it is all about how you shape your circumstances, how you interact with those around you and the things that you believe about yourself.
Life wasn’t meant to be lived on a phone 24/7. Life wasn’t meant to be lived hustling everywhere. Life was meant to be enjoyed and embraced.
When was the last time that you actually embraced life?
Make a list today of 5 things that will help you to be more present and embrace life more fully. And then DO SOMETHING with that list. Don’t leave it on your dresser. Bring it to school with you. Bring it to your work. Put it on your lock screen. Put it on your bathroom mirror and then do one of them every now and then. It will spark joy SO MUCH MORE than watching reels ever could.
You don’t fully know what you’re missing out on in the world until you put the screens away and actually take time to look around. You don’t want to get to your deathbed and wish you had experienced the simpler things in life. You don’t want to wish that you had played one less video game, just so you could spend time outside.
You want to be able to die peacefully, knowing that you embraced life for all that it had to offer. You want to be able to breathe your last breath, knowing that your life was beautiful, not because you had more time than others, but because you chose to be intentional with the time that you did have.
Keziah M. 
Leave a comment