I am finding it is not necessary to fill every moment in order to live the day to the fullest. I often layer media intake on top of whatever I do. Taking a lunch break? —watch this video while you eat. Working on something that doesn’t need your full attention? —put on a podcast. Doing literally anything in which you don’t need to keep an ear out? —start up the music. I’ve done this media stacking so consistently that it feels unnatural to do any one thing within its own peace. 

In the midst of intentionally breaking away from this perpetual media lifestyle, I am left to seek out a different kind of engagement, something less predictable, where the unexpected can happen, and with a much wider variance in pacing…What is this unfathomable thing?—it’s called ‘Talking to People’. Who knew interacting with real people who are right in front of you could become such a forgotten treasure!

But let’s take a few steps back from there; I don’t want to give anyone a “put your phones away” rant. Let’s discuss the benefits of seeking out the slow quiet stillness of life and how that compares to the idea of living each day to the fullest. How would your mind—or state of being—be different? The things I jump to are less anxiety, greater focus, and a more steady level of contentment—all of which are hypothetical. However, the best way I tend to measure the value of my daily habits is to look at how they may be shaping my character. In consuming large amounts of media and entertainment, what developments has that made in shaping who I am? I surmise all the exposure to art, storytelling, and just plain junk out there has made me more cultured, quick to understand new things, and able to be engaged or switch between multiple interactions…but also blind to the present moment. I think this is why yoga and meditation has become so popular; They provide training in appreciating the present. ‘Bring balance’ —the slogan commonly associated with those practices suddenly makes practical sense. 

Living each day to the fullest is not a matter of filling it with either activity or peace, but a balance of each. …and to that I say… “Duh!” When you’re young, revelations are more “duh” moments than they are “ah-ha” moments.