Time is Luck: Being Present in Life

I end up rewatching many old movies from the 90s and 2000s. One of them was Michael Mann’s “Miami Vice”. What a master at the shoot out scenes. It signals the peak to American influence and confidence in the world.

But one of the phrases that stuck with me was mentioned by Isabelle, who gets romantically entangled with undercover cop Crockett. “Time is Luck” describing their situation. A magical and wonderful but ephemeral experience that does not last too long. 

Time is luck. Your time with your children. Your time with your parents and siblings. Your time with your friends. Your time on this earth. You should treasure it. 

But so many of us are either trapped by our memories in the past. Either nostalgia for a time that probably was not really that good. Or times that were so awful that we are stuck there and it traps us from moving forward. 

My problem is I tend to think too far into the future. The next trip. The next deal. The next conference. The next book. I guess this is the problem of working in tech, studying future trends, investing in early stage startups and living in the future. 

I’m so fixated on the future that I end up overlooking or missing the magical things that happen in my everyday moments and life. Moments like Waking up my kid, taking her to school, having a wonderful meal together with my family. Having a great conversation with friends and my business partners. 

I think I’ve gotten better at it. Trying to eat more slowly and savor the meal. Meditating more in the morning, afternoon and evening. But I still have a lot of work to do here. 

We all live in the moment. It’s all we have.  This is a reminder to be more mindful about this fact. Breath. Slow down and take it all in. It may also help you live a more enjoyable life.