In this digital age, we live in an instant world. We need everything in the NOW.
We want to say something to someone, open an app say it.
We crave a sinful dessert, open an app order it.
We see something we desire owned by someone, open an app and buy it on credit (Why bother about affordability?!).
We need validation, open an app and post it online. Keep checking the app for likes, views, shares, and comments.
Why work for something harder, when we can get something more pleasant to enjoy right now?
Instant gratification is all we know. As humans, pleasure is a temptation we can not avoid. Why would we when the outcome is this pleasurable? And with every gratification we gain instantly, we only want the next gratification to come in sooner, bigger, and better.
As the common saying in jest goes “Instant Gratification is not soon enough”
Eventually, instant gratification will become meaningless. This is because instant gratification is and remains only about the present. Instant Gratification takes no lessons from the past and does not care about the future.
Gone are times where we wait for the seeds we sow to reap success. Gone are the times where we plan for the future. Gone are the times where we rationalize and optimize our actions in the long run.
Rather we are a generation constantly in search of hacks – Diet hacks, Growth hacks, Life Hacks and what not. But the bottom line is
There are simply no shortcuts in the long run
Frank Sonnenberg
Does this mean Living in the Moment is a fad?
No. I am not saying we should miss out on the present. But we are also going to be in big trouble if the present is all we see. We need to live in the moment, yes. But we also need to know where we are headed. The big picture needs to be formed, it does not have to be precise to the T. But there needs to be a general direction towards where are actions are intended.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. But all play and no work also makes Jack a dull boy.
In today’s world of instant gratification, we have forgotten the beauty of patience. There is a virtue in nurturing our lives for a bigger purpose, a dream that is larger than life itself.
To be able to lead a life where we add value to ourselves and to folks around us. A life where we make an imprint on things that matter most to us. A life that has its own ups A life where we bloom on the inside just for ourselves where no external lenses can validate. A life where we make a difference beyond digital or physical wealth. A life that is priceless.
