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2042

Abstract

Do you notice how you are increasingly worried of an unfilled calendar as you grow older?I used to live my days simply as a child, only thinking about the next play or meal time. As my studies and work commitments picked up, I grew obsessed with optimizing my calendar, filling it with multiple work and social events.We seem to pride ourselves for our busy schedules and it becomes normal for everyone to boast about how little they slept or how many commitments they have.<ul><li>Is being busy truly fulfilling?</li><li>Why are we so uneasy if we have a free day to be spent at home with our loved ones?</li><li>Why are we rushing to the next commitments before concluding our current one?</li></ul><h1 id="c177">The Absence of Rituals</h1><blockquote id="313b">Time is like a river made up of the events which happen, and a violent stream; for as soon as a thing has been seen, it is carried away, and another comes in its place, and this will be carried away too.</blockquote>Marcus AureliusNotice the impermanence of time and consequently the events in our lives. Major milestones such as anniversaries and birthdays are still celebrated to mark the passage of time. Yet, these events are also prone to losing significance over time.These events are rituals, meant for us to commemorate, and slow down time. Too often, we let events just occur to us and we move on to the next. Such tendencies result in our inability to fully digest what we experienced, creating fleeting moments that we let pass by.We consume TV shows mindlessly and binge entire seasons on Netflix when we once went to the cinema occasionally and reflect on what we had watched.We schedule our next meeting before ending our current one. And we scroll through reels and Tiktoks mindlessly when we used to appreciate long-form videos and articles.Life just seems to be manifesting in shor

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ter bursts of attention, and we let it happen without an attempt to be mindful of the present. Consequently, we may get through our activity-paced weeks without feeling that we have accomplished much after all.<h1 id="3732">To Slow Time…</h1>Develop routines and truly be immersed in the experiences life has to offer. Be ever-present!<ul><li>Do not look at your phone while brewing your morning coffee.</li><li>Look at your friends in the eye while conversing, and really listen.</li><li>Reflect on the major and minute events in life, and do not rush to the next one.</li></ul>We have time, so why the urgency?<blockquote id="2a3c">Without intervals, there is only an unstructured, directionless side-by-side of confusion of events</blockquote>Byung-Chul HanThe key is not the amount of events you flood your calendar with, but how many you can be truly immersed and reflect on. Do not simply go through the motion in life, but take the time to enjoy the little moments.<figure id="6e3d"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*bdasC1H57b70oui8"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@bendavisual?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Benjamin Davies</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>Perhaps it is time I let my mind quieten as I sit in my family home, to interact meaningfully with my relatives and to reflect on my experiences the year has brought.I miss the long bus rides I used to embark on after school when I could ponder about the day. Life could just very well be a bus ride.A bus ride where we pause at certain stops (our milestones) and move on to the next, while remembering the previous one. Let’s appreciate the beauty in the slowness of the journey, while keeping the destination ever-so-slightly etched in the back of our minds.</article></body>

Racing Against Time — Our Temporal Crisis

Why does time pass quicker as we age? And how do we slow it down?

The year-end has always been a time of reunion, and that for me means travelling back to my home town where I meet my extended family. I look forward to this time of year as it not only reminds me of the permanence of relationships, but also that of certain landmarks — my family home.

This space is filled with fond memories. It is where different generations from my parents to I, grew up in. The same walls and floors hold so many precious moments.

I used to play for hours within the same walls, looked up at the same ceiling and let my young mind dream. But time has caught up. The house is no longer filled with juvenile laughter, but that of adult reunion.

I cannot help but wonder: “Where did all the time go?”

A college student now filled with endless commitments and assignments, I have barely felt the flow of time. My friends have similarly expressed this view. Why does time only seem to accelerate as we age and how could we ever get a grip on time?

Relativity of Time

Whoever lives twice as fast can enjoy twice as many life possibilities

Byung-Chul Han

As we age, each passing year becomes a smaller fraction of our overall life experience. The flow of each moment is more significant to a 5 year old than a 50 year old who has gone through more than half of his lifespan. Consequently, events and time feel more fleeting as we age.

Do you notice how you are increasingly worried of an unfilled calendar as you grow older?

I used to live my days simply as a child, only thinking about the next play or meal time. As my studies and work commitments picked up, I grew obsessed with optimizing my calendar, filling it with multiple work and social events.

We seem to pride ourselves for our busy schedules and it becomes normal for everyone to boast about how little they slept or how many commitments they have.

Is being busy truly fulfilling?
Why are we so uneasy if we have a free day to be spent at home with our loved ones?
Why are we rushing to the next commitments before concluding our current one?

The Absence of Rituals

Time is like a river made up of the events which happen, and a violent stream; for as soon as a thing has been seen, it is carried away, and another comes in its place, and this will be carried away too.

Marcus Aurelius

Notice the impermanence of time and consequently the events in our lives. Major milestones such as anniversaries and birthdays are still celebrated to mark the passage of time. Yet, these events are also prone to losing significance over time.

These events are rituals, meant for us to commemorate, and slow down time. Too often, we let events just occur to us and we move on to the next. Such tendencies result in our inability to fully digest what we experienced, creating fleeting moments that we let pass by.

We consume TV shows mindlessly and binge entire seasons on Netflix when we once went to the cinema occasionally and reflect on what we had watched.

We schedule our next meeting before ending our current one. And we scroll through reels and Tiktoks mindlessly when we used to appreciate long-form videos and articles.

Life just seems to be manifesting in shorter bursts of attention, and we let it happen without an attempt to be mindful of the present. Consequently, we may get through our activity-paced weeks without feeling that we have accomplished much after all.

To Slow Time…

Develop routines and truly be immersed in the experiences life has to offer. Be ever-present!

Do not look at your phone while brewing your morning coffee.
Look at your friends in the eye while conversing, and really listen.
Reflect on the major and minute events in life, and do not rush to the next one.

We have time, so why the urgency?

Without intervals, there is only an unstructured, directionless side-by-side of confusion of events

Byung-Chul Han

The key is not the amount of events you flood your calendar with, but how many you can be truly immersed and reflect on. Do not simply go through the motion in life, but take the time to enjoy the little moments.

Perhaps it is time I let my mind quieten as I sit in my family home, to interact meaningfully with my relatives and to reflect on my experiences the year has brought.

I miss the long bus rides I used to embark on after school when I could ponder about the day. Life could just very well be a bus ride.

A bus ride where we pause at certain stops (our milestones) and move on to the next, while remembering the previous one. Let’s appreciate the beauty in the slowness of the journey, while keeping the destination ever-so-slightly etched in the back of our minds.