Life: Future or Present?

I happened to be talking to a friend of mine and I asked her, "what is Life?" Her answer was simple, yet meaningful. She said, "Life is what you are living now. It is your present."

If that is so, why do we bother so much about the future? Why then do we neglect the present and work to make our future better? Is it even worth all the effort? I needed to know. So I started thinking.

Teachers said, study now so you can have a better future. Elders said, start saving so you can have a secured future. Why is everyone bent on making our future better? Why can't we enjoy our present and not get so worked up about the future? I'm not against planning for the future, I understand how important it is for us to have a dream, a goal for the future. It inspires us to work on, yes. But why live in the fear of tomorrow and not enjoy the moment? I'd rather live the moment, for our future depends on our present. What is the use of being a billionaire if you have no one to enjoy the luxuries with? What is the use of living for a hundred years if you don't have someone to share it with?

So yeah, make friends, loads of them. Fall in love, face the heartbreaks, stand up and move on. Listen to everyone but do what you feel like doing. As long as it makes you happy and as long as it doesn't take away someone else's happiness, it's healthy. Commit mistakes, learn from them and never repeat them. Cry when you can't hold on to the pain. Be a mess. Because one day, when most of your loved ones are gone, these memories will give you solace. Don't give up your present to make your future bright. It's like choosing to walk in darkness, searching for light when you'll already find the light if you know where and how to look for it.

It's stupid how people live for their tomorrow and forget their today. It's not always necessary to act matured, it's okay to be a kid and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Remember, you'll never be young twice. Dream for a better future, work hard. Learn from the past. And never forget to enjoy the moment.

Life as we know it.

There comes a point in everyone's life when you are made to face reality. You are shown how some people, who you have held close all your life, can't stay forever. It's when the obscure world of 'Forever' falls apart and you realise the void it creates in your life. Changes, especially those that involve parting, break you down. All the promises, the sugar coated talks, all come to sound like bad music you can't get off of your mind. And you begin to curse yourself for letting people come close enough to make you vulnerable.

But honestly, life is all about getting to know how to cope with loss. After all, everything you possess today will either be lost or gone to another's possession tomorrow. What is permanent, what stays back, is hurt and pain. How you accept loss and move on, is what defines you as a person. For change is inevitable, so better accepted than dreaded.

Have you ever let someone reach for the barriers you have built, destroy them and enter your life, though you know staying is a luxury they can't afford? For most, it might just sound absurd. And it is, in a way, because after knowing what the future has in store for you, you are letting them stay. Eventually, they'll have to leave, thus breaking your heart. But be sure of this. The few moments/days you spend with them will last with you for a lifetime. These memories will adorn the scrapbook of your life, if anything as such exists. And if you meet them again, in your later life, you'll look back on the past and reminisce the bitter-sweet memories. And that is when, amidst the pangs of pain, emerges the most beautiful smile you'll ever have smiled.