I’ve recently taken up running. Specifically ‘Park Run’s’ in Hillsborough Forest park. Its a beautiful place and easy to lose yourself here.

This evening I went for a 5k run, and was going through the mental trials and tribulations one goes through while running – “Maybe I’ll take a break here” “No keep pushing!” etc. So much so that I felt I was out here for at least an hour. Crossing the finish line I was surprised to see I had only been here 34 minutes. Looking back, I realize I felt every second of that run, not a moment was wasted or passed without notice. I felt truly alive. But what does it mean when someone ‘feels alive’?

People often say this when doing things like taking ice baths, climbing a mountain, or traveling. The unifying theme is they’re all physical and require your full attention. So it’s reasonable to say that feeling alive is when your attention is focused here and now, and you’re achieving something meaningful. On the contrary, I wondered “what causes times to pass by without us noticing?”. This happens when we’re distracted and our attention is somewhere else entirely. E.g. when we’re on our phones, watching movies or TV shows.

The takeaway is that we feel less alive when we’re not focused on the present; and with the world so full of distractions everywhere we go, how many of us are really living our lives?, and how many succumb to these distractions and are quite literally not with us?

A quote that’s often misinterpreted is “life’s short”. Many perceive that to be the case, but I would argue you never felt truly alive for very often. Distractions such as Netflix, phones, and TV are simply ways to waste time – Time you purport to not exist. So the point I hope to get across is this: If you want a life that’s anything but short, and one that makes you feel alive, live in a way that forces you to be present. Because once your attention leaves the room, so does your time, soon followed by your life.