Wow.. Synchronicities - I am in Mexico, and planing my Vipassana retreat.. You are always a breath of fresh air, you wisdom always hits home in a way that's so comforting. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your perspective on time! It made me reflect about time and how I spend it! And that in the end of the day we are responsible for how use the time we have. Keep on the good work! Love seeing your videos and you outlook on life and importante issues!
oh my gosh this helped me so much, I recently faced my own demons and received love from my own family and man this video you just made is just a reminder that speaks so loudly to me.. I always hated vague answers from people about the biggest questions, thank you for shedding light onto that Mr. Drew.
This video feels like receiving advice from a good friend! Thanks 🤗 My advice on how to stop time slipping and how yo stop that: Do what makes you feel happy and fulfilled; do things that are aligned with your purpose in life. Time will inevitably pass, but if you live joyfully and with a heart that is at peace, your time will pass purposefully, and that's the most important thing.
I finally feel like I've found another person who thinks similarly like me about things in life. Listen to me: I think a lot about a ton of stuff like what to do with my life etc. Similarly like you I've also come through some very hard times and I also had an existential crisis (like you mentioned in the video). I'm 24, which I guess is also quite close to your age. The whole my life I similarly like you really like doing short movies and I love shooting (I also love playing piano and improvising). I even won the national photographic award 2 years in a row for some quite abstract photos (which I enjoy making the most). After I finished high school I didn't know what university to go to even though all of my friends went to some university without much thinking. I considered taking a gap year. I decided not to since I was scared. I went to study architecture since I was good at math and art even though my dream when younger was to become a film director. However after a few months in the university I realized that being an architect will probably not fulfill me, so I stopped. Than I wasn't studying for one year. Meanwhile I was studying things that I find interesting ranging from physics, philosophy, math, etc. (Actually that is the problem, I love to learn almost everything since I want to understand the world around me and the meaning of it whole.) Than I went to study computer science since I was really interested in AI. I could continue but to make it short, I really feel like we are in some sense similar and I'm happy to know that such people exist because I don't know anyone like me and I feel a bit misunderstood by the society... But to get to the "speeding up time" question... Actually I agree with the things you've proposed in the video. My personal opinion is that the root cause of the problem is that the older we are, the less novel things we experience which in turn means that less moments are stored in our brain as memories. And this means that in retrospect we feel like not that much happened lately, i.e. time is speeding up. However this is not all the time. There are times when I still experience some novel things and the time slows down substantially. For example last year I traveled to Rome for the first time and I was really immersed in the present moment there while constantly curiously looking around those beautiful buildings etc. And the time was flowing really slowly. Even in retrospect it feels like I've been there for a really long time since a lot of things happened. To say a few words about the mindfulness meditation, I really think there is some truth to that it slows down our subjective time. For me when I actively practice meditation, the time slows down for me and is slowed down even for a few hours after the meditation. I suspect the reason why the meditation slows down our subjective time is because it shifts our brain to viewing the world around us with "fresh eyes" similar to when we were younger. I'll give you an example: After I meditate I'm able to enjoy looking at my cup on my desk even though before the meditation I wouldn't get any pleasure from that. Since I enjoy this moment of looking at my cup, the time is slowed down (anything that we enjoy or generally are emotional about we experience as slowed down in the present moment). This moment is also stored as a memory (without meditating looking at my cup wouldn't form a strong memory since I wouldn't find this view novel and enjoyable as I do after meditation). And the more memories we form about that moment, the more we feel like our subjective time passed slower in retrospect since we can recall a lot of things about that moment. So really, meditation seems to be some kind of tool to slow down our subjective time by giving us "fresh eyes" which cause us to form more memories about the moment we are in. To me it means I have two choices to slow down my subjective time as an adult: either travel to the Rome for the first time or to meditate.
Meditation has definitely helped me to slow down time and be more mindful. So yeah daily meditation is the answer for me to keep myself in the present moment.
You one of the few TH-camrs who can actually make me sit and listen for 10 mins to everything you say. I feel like you are able to articulate answers to questions I didn’t even know I had. Loving the vids
For me life is slipping by quickly because I'm so busy doing so many things. When I look at the clock I'm like holy crap it's already such and such time. And that's on a smaller hourly timeframe. The same thing happens with days, weeks, months.....
Sheesh.... at 13 years old he was having an existential crisis about time and life being short. At 13 years old I was more worried about my mom finding my stash of "naughty" girly pictures (sorry but youtube algos banned the other word) and stash of weed.
1. Stop running from yourself and face your demons 2. Be weary of comfort. Avoid the same old cyclic routines. Try to do vipasana. 3. Seek discomfort and practice mindfulness to avoid distractions.
I’ve definitely experienced that anxiety of feeling like I’m racing against time; but I’ve shifted towards a different mindset after doing what I love everyday
I personally think that everyone should go through some sort of mental hardships once at least, they teach you a lot of things. But its better if you you learn the things without having major mental hardships
This is so apt for me right now. A friend of mine died recently and strangely, this has actually made me slow down. I don't fear running out of time - I fear missing life while worrying about the future. Now I seem to have more time than ever, and I'm spending it on people I love.
i feel similar. i lost my stepdad, whom i was very close with, in october 2021. i have been able to appreciate my life a lot more since his death. my mindset shifted immensely and i try to enjoy my life and make good memories, instead of studying for college 24/7, which was basically my only activity for the last two years.
Your self-awareness is unmatched, man. Don't beat yourself up, as you're likely living the life you've always wanted. Don't worry about the metrics; if you put in quality work, people will notice it and acknowledge you for your time and effort. You're doing what you love for a living. Slow down and appreciate that as much as you're able to. Namaste 🙏
One thing I've learned from traveling for the past 8 years is that constant discomfort is overrated, comfort isn't the demon that we make it out to be and we don't have to leap out of our comfort zone constantly to live our best life, putting in the work to get good at something with incremental improvement can be much more rewarding than taking a trip to the other side of the world. Trying out a class in something new in our city can be thrilling, having a difficult but needed conversation with someone can be a better opportunity for growth than backpacking in Thailand. It's not all about the big picture, the small things count much more than we give them credit.
yea.... 'get out of your comfort zone' , like who cares? what the point of all that unless your experiences are shared in social media and you get social validation and admiration. health benefits? nah...all that hassle in travelling is not helpful to mental health. its all superficial like a headless chicken running around trying to appear busy and goal oriented. unless you have a healthy connection with a significant person, providing for a family, nurture and wholesomeness, these messages... proliferation of what to do, checklist of this and that, are all meaningless and surface level experiences.
@caprice.t i understand...i still abide to principle of time though.. time is what you make of it and inorder to truly engross oneself to certain phenomena, one needs to savor it sensibly. how deep, thats another engrossment one needs to discover within... a food, depending upon whose sense of taste (temperament) can be somewhat savor by an infinite number of ways... subtle nuances... if you dont know how to train your senses to enrich an experience by being totally present, the experience never really reaches ones being, one is not touched by it.. one after another, without contemplation, these experiences dull ones mind and the seeming allure of novelty expires...
Life really gets clear when it's in relation to death. We often live our lives as if we have infinite time. When death feels close, what's important becomes obvious. This is one of the reason why monk's will often contemplate and even visualize their own death. But if you've really felt death close, for either yourself or someone close to you, it's very powerful. Also a note on mindfulness. It's not just being present to your experience, it's being open to it. We have lived similar experiences so many times, that we think we already know what each experience holds, so we aren't really open to it. We aren't really paying attention. We live in a sort of trance, thinking we need special achievements to feel alive and so we aren't really open and curious about the simple moments. But life is in those simple moments. It's not in the achievements, those are always transient and short lived. If you keep thinking you need a peak experience to feel alive, you'll miss what life actually has to offer.
A friend of mine died a couple years ago, and it was an eye opening expirience, I felt so alive that it made me feel like a bad person. Then the grief came and it all went away. But that experience remained and sometimes I do feel it again. When death comes everything stops, suddenly all that you thought was urgent does not have any importance. You just are. You just look around trying to understand life. And in that moment when everything stops, you start looking to the details again, you start valuing the wind, the sun, the day that arrives. Because everyday it's a reminder that death it's timeless and you start to live this timeless day by day. Sadly you see better through the tears. We're usually so closed. But death cracks you open.
When time feels like it's passing too quickly, I literally go somewhere that has a nice view and just sit there by myself and stare at it. After a while, a lot of "big problems" don't seem so big anymore and life starts to feel normal again.
The things that I do that really help life go by slower are to simply be as mindful as you can at any given moment. Take a deep breath. Look at all the details and beauty that surrounds you, no matter where you are. Admire that crack in the street, or really listen to those birds. We block so much of our senses and we take them for granted. When was the last time you stopped to smell a flower or to watch a bird in a tree? When was the last time you left your house without your phone? When you're on a bus or metro, do you simply sit or stand, just listening to the screeching wheels or feeling the movement of the train? All these little things add up to making life so much more enjoyable. ❤️ Also, staying off of social media makes a HUGE difference. So much time wasted that goes by in the blink of an eye.
The last 2 years from 25 onwards have definitely created this exact feeling of anxiety and time constricting my life quicker and quicker because I am not currently where I need to be in a broad sense, to progress. It's incredibly hard to pull your head out of this void and realize that 1. your life should NOT ever be compared to anyone else's. Just because someone else is having kids now, buying their first home, or getting married, doesn't mean you're behind. 2. Stop worrying about the past and future and focus on the present. Live each day as something new and 3. value what you've already got. It's so easy to take for granted the greatest things in life because we get too wrapped up in the things around us. Just live and find your peace. Find your happiness.
@@hypnoticlizard9693 Hi I just found this comment, and I know I'm not the op but I also feel this way. I am in a job I don't particularly enjoy. I can't relate to the people in my workplace that much. I also earn a decent but basic salary (It will take me 10 years of being extremely frugal to buy a tiny apartment in this area( I don't like the area either). I don't have many friends anymore because most people I can relate to lives far away from me. Most of my interactions with friends comes from gaming and the odd time I go visit my one friend who lives far or when my brothers friend comes back from working in America. I struggle a bit with addictions towards social media, etc which is a huge time waste and probably where allot of my problems stem from. I want to study in Computer Science or software development just for the salary and work environment you get with it, but I don't have the courage yet to take on that mountainous challenge and studying it part time with my 6-6 job would mean I have zero free time left to game with friends etc. Oh I'm 24 from South Africa BTW.
@@pfourie507 Hey Pieter, you've described a situation that's nearly identical to mine at this time haha. Housing is wildly unaffordable in my area and I don't care much to live here anymore personally. My job is fine in terms of salary but its no career, and I am no longer growing. I wanted to transition into an IT roll but got a bit overwhelmed and lost confidence in myself to take on something so different. I have a university degree in a field ive never worked in personally lol, but theres that. All of my close friends are no longer so close and I spend most of my time living what feels like more of a digital identity. This has to be the year of change, because I can't keep this up forever.
Story time... This past week I rediscovered some of my old journals from 20 years ago, beginning when I was 21. It was nearly five years worth of my daily life. Recently, I'd been thinking of that period in my life, and while I remembered a few of the major things that happened (coming out, a couple of toxic relationships, leaving home and going back to school), I just could not remember half a decade's worth of life. Your line at 8:57, "Constant discomfort can be a form of comfort" absolutely resonated with me. As my journals revealed, those years were truly miserable. I was depressed, doing the same thing day in and out, not even remotely approaching my potential. But like some kind of sadist, I repeated that misery for years for the sake of comfort. Because I couldn't bring myself to break out of that cycle (and if we're being honest, because I didn't think I deserved it), until I finally did. And I'm so glad I got out of that rut. It led to some truly beautiful things... marrying my husband, adopting a daughter, traveling the world, living in foreign countries. But that's not to say these patterns of time slippage never reappeared. I'm lucky that my husband can sense when I (or we) have lost forward momentum because he will definitely do something about it. Alarmed at the prospect of wasting our lives, and how deeply unhappy I was at my job of six years, he found an opportunity to move to a new country. That's how we relocated to Tokyo in 2019 and continue to try to make the most of the time we've got.
I loved that you brought up Comfort being able to come in many different ways....like constantly traveling to new countries and always on the road. My mother passed away when i was 21 and i then spent the next 4 years traveling the world....it became my way of life...it became my comfort zone so much that i was more comfortable being in one country one day and then being in a completely new country 4 days later. I think it was a form of running away from dealing with my mothers death. Read a book called "Wherever you go...there you are" if you just want to accept where you're at in life and not fight the current. Go with the flow and let it unfold. No reason to fight it
Your phone speeds up time. We are the phone generation and if you look into the science of how your brain behaves when on a phone - it's a bit horrifying. It REWIRES YOUR NEUROCHEMISTRY in detrimental ways. It mimics ADHD and acts as a stimulant, making you speedy and unfocused. You know how too much coffee make your day go by in a whirl? You find yourself zooming through something random online in a blur. Your thoughts are scattered, you're restless. That state isn't normal for humans. We evolved to sit naked in the sun talking to our tribe - we've never had this many distractions. Cut down on your phone and TV use. Replace that with deeper activities - reading, walks where you just think and look around you, meditation, long rich weird conversations. You literally dissociate from life on your phone. Look up!
I swear every single time I think about something, I see a video about it from Nathaniel a day or two later hahah!! I was literally just searching this up and was not satisfied with the answers I found. I have always chased experiences, and thought that doing that now would be the answer too, but it wasn't. I was chasing experiences simply for the sake of it and it just didn't feel the same. I too realised that I was wasting a lot of time thinking (I spend way too much time thinking about all of this, and every decision I make) rather than just living. It's hard to let go because of the potential regret of having not done enough, but for now I have just decided to exist and do things again when they feel right rather than filling my time to keep myself busy simply for the sake of it.
Great video, Nathaniel! Being a person that suffers from anxiety since I was a kid, that feeling of time passing by so fast is enhanced in my mind, together with the constant fear of what the future might bring. I've been able to manage that a little bit better with journaling, especially by registering the good/bad moments of each day, and then making a monthly review. I collect photos, tickets, quotes, etc., and it has helped me live each moment in a more present way. Anyway, just wanted to continue the conversation, like you said... Have a nice week!***
I enjoy your thoughtful videos! I’m 57, an artist, and 2 years a widow this Tuesday. Since I was young, time slipping away has always been a concern. Time is fascinating to me also, I love time travel stories, a chance to see how others have lived in different periods. I think spending as much time doing the things you love, while living simply is helpful. Feeling fulfilled and satisfied with the life we’ve lived is at the core of concerns about not having enough time. For me it is making art, going to the beach, and spending time with nature. Since I’m a landscape painter it all fits together. Not necessarily alone, I paint with other artists sometimes. Even though I’m goal oriented I still think it’s important to spend time with family and friends. After I became a widow, after a period of adjustment and reflection I decided to move to my most ideal place. This was the most difficult period of my life, and during the pandemic. I found a nice town on Lake Michigan, our happy place, where there is a good art community, and a more convenient drive to see family. I’m very excited for next summer! Best wishes! Have a good one!
I wish you all the best for your journey ahead. You seem inspiring. I've recently started to sketch and paint. I love watching artists in action. They are always a treat to the eyes. Have a wonderful summer! ❤
Pleeaaase do more on time, your views on time are directly in line with mine. I just turned 18 and been suffering form a existential crisis since 16. I am extremely scared of the future, the idea of not having the freedom of childhood and having to grow up into a live that billions of other people in the world live. Bring kids to school, work, take kids from school, eat, sleep repeat. Eventually regretting it when im 60. It scares me and I want to become indepentent like you are. I want to travel and take in the fullest potential of life. But your point on continously chasing that is a reminder that even that could lead to life passing by very quickly. I think that we underestimate the days and evenings on which we take a step back. And enjoy the moments of callmness, and doing nothing. Taking every opportunity you get or saying yes to everything you could do will lead to days and weeks passing by very quickly. Thanks for reading my words, i normally don’t do this and keep things to myself. So it was hard and i appreciate your time and efford of reading it!
I used to worry about this. I love children, I'm great with kids, but when i see people doing the school run or back gardens filled with plastic toys and mess, or messy houses covered in baby food, i shudder. That life isn't for me. I dunno why. I've been having those thoughts since I was 14 - now I'm 32 and I still don't have kids, and I'm so happy about it. I just get to play with my friends kids instead! Don't accept pressure to conform, do what makes you happy. The rules to life that society tries to push onto us are just made up bullshit. You don't need a house, marriage or kids if you don't want them!
@@rdsunshine34741 Respect your message, thanks for sharing! Keep doing what your doing, i will try to be myself and do what i love instead of doing what i society thinks i love!
"Anything in life can be a distraction" is so true because when we are pursuing things in life, we can lose sight of ourselves. It is universal to want to run away from the most paramount things in our lives. What I've learned at the ripe young age of 23 (and what I am trying to apply) is that we need to be pursuing things that are aligned with our values. If you're chasing an incredibly audacious goal that sounds good in your ears and the ears of others, it can seem like the right thing to be doing. But if that goal is pushing you away from being aligned with your non-negotiables, then it must not be that great. Slowing down forced me to understand that, until a couple days ago, I had no idea what my values were. So slowing down is the best possible thing we can do. It forces us to get small and focus on the things right in front of us.
I have constantly felt anxious over the thought that time is slipping away and there’s only so much I can do. Actually, Eckhart Tolle’s book, “The Power of Now” is a good read for those who looking to gain some perspective on this topic.
We often just focus on climbing higher and miss all the beautiful little things that are happening in our daily lives. Therefore, take a deep breath and please share one thing you are grateful for right now 👇❤️
I’m 24 going on to 25 and I’ve been following you for a cool minute and truly, your philosophy on life is one that resonates with me most. Thank you for always being willing to share your experiences and your craft. You’re a real inspiration :-)
I have struggled with that feeling of running out of time. What I've done that helps is moving to new cities every few years to break up the routine and monotony of life. I move back and forth from city to suburbs. It's a bit of a culture shock. Also some other things that help me: •Staying busy with work •traveling •new hobbies •waking up earlier everyday •meeting new people
I haven’t stop for a minute since I turned like 30, my life have been passing me by very quickly, I am now going to be 36 and aside from all the experiences I’ve had, I keep in mind I still have a very fulfilling life. Even though turning 36 seems to be like if I was going to be 70. Nathaniel have created once again, a masterpiece of a video. It would be almost a dream to be able to spend a day talking to this guy. Lucky the friends that have Nathaniel in their lives.
Tell me about it. I'm gonna be 30 this year, and man, do I feel old! When we are kids or teenagers or even in college, it seems like we've infinite amount of time. Now, when I look back and notice how 30 years have whizzed past, I feel like life is slipping away superfast. At the same time, I feel more mindful now. I want to live fully goibg forward whether I get to live 10 or 40 years. I definitely don't feel the same about time anymore.
@@urvashisangwan8858 I heard you my man. Now I can honestly say that life is a quick second. Even if you travel, push yourself to the unknown and become the person you want to be and feel good about yourself. All in all is about YOU and that’s it.
Nathaniel, I’ve noticed (especially in this video) that you’re getting more comfortable being yourself in your videos. That’s a difficult thing to do, and as someone who struggles with being comfortable with themselves, kudos! It makes me really happy to see that and wish you all the best!
I’m in my early 30’s and just contemplating these questions now. You’re well beyond your years my friend. I spent most of my 20’s in constant discomfort travelling all of the time because I was afraid to be in one place and build deep relationships. Don’t regret any of it at all though because it helped me become who I am today. And it was fun. But now I’m in a place where relationships now become the next challenge to overcome in my life. Sometimes we just need to prioritise which poison we pick as there are always many of them, and take them one step at a time. So I can definitely relate. Great video 🤙
The happier you are the faster time goes. The more miserable you are the slower it goes. The more detailed you are the slower it goes, the less detailed the faster it goes. Increasing the keenness of one's attention slows life way down.
I've always thought Einstein Theory of General Relativity makes sense. That our relative experiences in life is what dictates how much time passes by. But generally time goes fast when something exciting comes up, but slow when it's mundane.
Hey Drew, thanks again for the video and great conversation! As a former Vipassana attendee what I can add is: Don't worry about blocking the 10 days, or being aware of possible excuses/fears. When the time arrives and if arrives, you will know it and will do it. See you in the next video 🙏🏻
Maybe you're right about this man. Earlier I found the idea of doing Vipassana sexy, but when I finally got the opportunity I got cold feet. Maybe I'm not yet prepared to do it.
Nathaniel, you inspire me. I am an 18 year old who is passionate about creating things. Writing is the one thing that has always kept me afloat. I have an immense passion for story telling, and you inspire me to pursue my dreams without fear of failure or judgement. Your videos continue to open my eyes and create pathways to new thinking. I just ordered your “Amor Fati” shirt from Yes Theory. I am so grateful for you and can’t thank you enough.
Holy Moly... such wisdom from you and yet so young! And so much to unpack here. I have lived in the USA for over 65 years in a Corporate Climate of acceleration lifestyle. And for the last year moved to Portugal for a more sustainable lifestyle of both stimulation of the new and a tranquility of the life pace.... the best gift I have ever given myself... Keep doing all you are doing, young Nathaniel. You are making an impact.
Damn. This video is what I needed. Mindfulness is so important. I just deleted all of my social media apps to try and be more present in my life. Naturally, I've found other distractions. This video is the mental kick in the butt I needed. I want to love my life again.
That's why the book Momo, by Michael Ende, hit so hard when I was a kid. I read the story when I was 8, and it was about this exact thing, which I found impressive and never looked at life the same way as before.
The “Influencer in the wild” thing you mentioned: I’ve been trying to shoot in public more often lately to try and overcome that insecurity. It’s honestly surprising me how much it’s helping me put a little bit less priority on what people think of me. I think it’s a necessary practice in my case lol
i think the answer lies in finding flow states. Time slows down when your skill matches the challenge, novelty is correlated with this, as you need novelty to continue to be challenged, but it is not novelty itself that is operating.
Thanks for this video, it really came at the right time for me. I've been going through some pretty bad anxiety over the thought of dying and life slipping by too fast. Hearing your thoughts on this and knowing I'm not alone helps
I always felt like life was passing by and not living in the present, I would look back in the past and look forward to the future which made me both depressed and anxious, one thing which helped me was to let go and go with the flow and do things at a time which made life much better.
I agree with you. These are the conversations I'd love to have with someone close to me too. Philosophy in general is a wonderful topic to talk about. When you propose such hypothesis and conclusions on your own and share your idea about things, it just feels satisfying and amazing. I don't watch your content often but when I do, I can just relate to so many things
Yes! Few years back I was always doing this and that and distracted. 7 years of my life goes by super fast. Nowadays, slowing down and doing one thing at a time is super comfortable to me. I choose what I would invest emotionally in. Life is slower now.
Drew- I have been considering a Vipassana retreat for a few years now (COVID canceled my first attempt but application #2 goes out in Feb!). I would REALLY LOVE to hear your views on attending and experiencing a retreat and definitely think it would be worth it in many different respects. Amor Fati!!
The 10 day retreat is amazing. The first day you gather and get to see and chat with others then you go right into the silent retreat, basically acting as if you’re all alone, not speaking one word unless necessary. They serve great vegetarian meals. Daily you meditate about 10 hours and get a couple of meal breaks and a snack break. There is also time for walking meditations on your own. It was really challenging controlling the thoughts and focusing but that’s the whole point is to train your mind and become less reactive in general.
If you are reading this all of the things you have manifested and are manifesting the life for you . You are aligned with the universe. You are attracting all positive things in to your life. That new home, that new job , the abundance, the financial stability it’s all coming . I am confident I am enough I am worth of love I will have abundance.
As a person who has done 4 Vipassana courses in the last 6 years, I highly recommend this experience. Especially the subsequent work of maintaining the practice of meditation every day. I love your videos and that you bring this topic to youtube ♥
Each year that goes by gets shorter than the one before, and I've really been feeling that since I turned 30. Thankfully, that feeling motivated to use my time more effectively and immerse myself in creative passions. Thanks for the video, Nathaniel!
To the *incredible person* seeing this, I wish you all the best in life❤ don't over blame yourself, accept things and go forward. Don't let others define what “success” is for you. Get up, learn the skills needed and get after it, all the keys to a happy life is in your hands. Keep pushing.
I watched this video and my aunty literally passed away right after watching this. I was reading through the comments and people were talking about how death can give you a different perspective of time. I come from a very traditional ethnic family, so in that instant of finding out, I cancelled all of my priorities for this week. My brother and I immediately went to buy food and make a meal for my uncle who was grieving in the hospital alone. It didn't even go quickly and time didn't stop either. It was just so very in the moment. I was very tapped into my feelings and my heart, I was trying to understand how to be there for my uncle and his young children, and how to be of service. I wasn't in my head with my thoughts - I couldn't fathom thinking about time. I was just so deeply present to the expereince that my responsibilities and priortizies meant nothing to me, I just wanted to show my support and appreciation to my uncle who has done so much for me. It was a beautiful experience to acknowledge that time didn't need to matter and that I could just simply... BE. Rest in Peace to my aunty Susan, may you forever be a shining light to your two beautiful children.
I've felt this way for as long as I can remember. A sense of urgency I can't shake other than with meditation. Still, one of my greatest fears is a life unlived. And traveling has been one of my escapes. Thank you for articulating this all so beautifully and thoughtfully!
Holyyyy moly this video has resonated! The constant underlying feeling of urgency can be so debilitating, and constantly running and rushing to try and keep up just isn't the answer. Thank you for sharing this with us mate, as you always do...it's challenged my thoughts and opinions 🙏
Nathan I have loved watching your videos over the past few years, watching you grow and understand the value of things like mindfulness and meditation. It honestly feels like I grew along side you a little. I'm glad to see more youtubers talk about how they're realizing that happiness comes from within, it's so important for them to share that realization with the world. This will probably sound cheesy, but I can see the passion and curiosity in your eyes when you talk about your interests, it is so bright and beautiful. Keep up the good work man
Honestly I felt like my younger years flew by and I didn’t capitalize on it at all. I constantly reflect on that and I’m already filled with regrets. I’m turning 28 in a few months and I’m trying to live life fully starting now.
Bro , in order for you to even come close to living life fully , First we must know our purpose and the reason we are here . Are applaud your openness to meet new places and people , it was that very situation , and setting where I can see God humbled me , brought me a high place (physically - it was the mountains ) and a low place (emotionally spiritually ) In that state - & only in that state did I find myself mouthing the words “God if you’re real show me ?! “ Looking back Nathaniel , I was broken , completely lost and broken . The very next day a lady arrived out of nowhere in my hostel . She asked “mark will you pray with me ?” “Nah “ I said Then after 5 mins I was on my knees - tears rolled down my cheeks . I asked - “who are you ?” The lady turned and said “ mark im a missionary “. Allow God to be God , for him to be our purpose and our joy .& for all those who are yet to meet God , I pray he will use this message , and all of the outside circumstances he is using to bring you to that place of surrender . Blessings , Jesus is the way the truth and the life . Mark :)
Loved this video! It accidentally started playing after the other one I watched by Sorelle. And this was absolutely what I needed to see! Made notes on some of the quotes you mentioned, and others that I guess are by you (A constant discomfort is a form of comfort!) And earlier I was doing exactly that, letting some unnecessary thoughts suck out my time and energy, just due to the fact that I am unsatisfied of a certain turn of events. I am learning to trust myself and fully accept that the decisions that I make or had made in the past, were/are the best decisions I can make at the moment! I honour and accept that. If anything needs to change or it is in my power to do so, I follow that. Thank you for your awesome videos and your openness. Love the clothes and your motto, "SeekDiscomfort" Guys are awesome! Amazing that you guys are collaborating.
Gracias Nathaniel!! Tus videos han enriquecido demasiado mi vida y me han ayudado a entender mejor muchas cosas, sigue con esos temas y videos que ayudan también a disfrutar más de la vida, que en este momento se está pasando por cierto, jajajaj gracias!! 😄👋🌅
Honestly meditating more frequently throughout the day has been life changing for me recently. I also try to dedicate a couple of hours to full silence and really want to engage in a silent retreat soon.
Thank you for this. Your thoughts were echoed for me today when I listened to Malcolm Gladwell's conversation with Oliver Burkeman, author of "Four Thousand Weeks. Time Management for Mortals", which seemed to hit exactly the same notes... (Over at The Next Big Idea Club.) "Slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be", indeed. In the moment, present with yourself, with the process, knowning and unknowing your limits one moment and heartbeat at a time, alive.
By the ˹passage of˺ time! Surely humanity is in ˹grave˺ loss, except those who have faith, do good, and urge each other to the truth, and urge each other to perseverance. - Quran Chapter 103 I've never connected to the above verses as I did just now. Thank you.
The Quran says: The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day, the extent of which is fifty thousand years. 70:4…..And on the Day when He will gather them, [it will be] as if they had not remained [in the world] but an hour of the day. Surat yunus.
Oh my god I love your authenticity Nathaniel! Had goosebumps when you said that these are the kind of conversations that you like having at a dinner party. Thank you for being who you are and continuing to inspire.
When I wake up in the morning, and I anticipate my alarm, my thoughts go racing and it feels like an hours but when I look at the clock and it was only five minutes. When I do not anticipate my alarm and just go to sleep again I will feel like I was woken up in the next moment when it was in fact almost half an hour. My theory is that we relate time to the speed of our thoughts. You feel like your thoughts can basically go buy at infinite speed, but you comprehend each thought as a little conscious voice in your head which speaks at a certain speed. This is why experiences where you’re relaxed and you don‘t think much, time goes by quickly, but when you’re bored and your thoughts are racing, every minute feels like an hour, because YOU get new ideas. The less you have to think consciously about something the faster it goes by. This is my theory.
That was me :-) Adventures and new experiences and travels were a form of escape. It only took a pandemic to make me sit still and look inwards. 💕 Thank you for this.
In Buddhism, there is a way to describe what you meant by “chasing experiences as a distractions” and it is called a “false refuge”. False refuge is anything that we use to run away from reality. It can be chasing experiences/novelties, video games, exercise, traveling, having kids, anything we use to help distract ourselves from the underlying discomfort and unsatisfactoriness one may feel if they allow themselves to sit still. The Buddha advised his followers to be cautious of creating a false refuge for oneself. The three things that you can take refuge in that will not lead to suffering is the Buddha, dharma, and sangha. Only through one’s insight and looking inward to help see things as they really are, is the path to true happiness. True happiness that is not dependent on conditioned things.
Ahh!! I've been in vipasna retreats three times in one year, and they were three days long each. to say the least, they transformed my life:) I always wondered if you would actually like doing something like that, and I was correct :)
The primary reason why I feel like time is slipping by is that the day job takes up most of my waking hours and energy. I need to do it in order to keep a roof over my head and pay for food and basic expenses. The cost of living keeps going up and up so...what to do? I still haven't figured it out.
This video is so well-timed for my life that I might cry. I've been struggling with this exact question for the past week. I just came back from a big vacation, started a new job, and my girlfriend left on a trip to Mexico (why this also feels so fitting that you're there). I find that this sense of accelerated time also seems to be coupled with a loss of meaning. Setting goals (slow goals, if I listen to your first point) has been very helpful. Cheers!
1. Slowly is the fastest way to get where you want to be.
2. Be weary of comfort.
3. Be mindful. Do one thing at a time.
Just revising. 😊
Wow.. Synchronicities - I am in Mexico, and planing my Vipassana retreat.. You are always a breath of fresh air, you wisdom always hits home in a way that's so comforting. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your perspective on time! It made me reflect about time and how I spend it! And that in the end of the day we are responsible for how use the time we have. Keep on the good work! Love seeing your videos and you outlook on life and importante issues!
oh my gosh this helped me so much, I recently faced my own demons and received love from my own family and man this video you just made is just a reminder that speaks so loudly to me.. I always hated vague answers from people about the biggest questions, thank you for shedding light onto that Mr. Drew.
This video feels like receiving advice from a good friend! Thanks 🤗 My advice on how to stop time slipping and how yo stop that:
Do what makes you feel happy and fulfilled; do things that are aligned with your purpose in life. Time will inevitably pass, but if you live joyfully and with a heart that is at peace, your time will pass purposefully, and that's the most important thing.
I finally feel like I've found another person who thinks similarly like me about things in life. Listen to me: I think a lot about a ton of stuff like what to do with my life etc. Similarly like you I've also come through some very hard times and I also had an existential crisis (like you mentioned in the video). I'm 24, which I guess is also quite close to your age. The whole my life I similarly like you really like doing short movies and I love shooting (I also love playing piano and improvising). I even won the national photographic award 2 years in a row for some quite abstract photos (which I enjoy making the most). After I finished high school I didn't know what university to go to even though all of my friends went to some university without much thinking. I considered taking a gap year. I decided not to since I was scared. I went to study architecture since I was good at math and art even though my dream when younger was to become a film director. However after a few months in the university I realized that being an architect will probably not fulfill me, so I stopped. Than I wasn't studying for one year. Meanwhile I was studying things that I find interesting ranging from physics, philosophy, math, etc. (Actually that is the problem, I love to learn almost everything since I want to understand the world around me and the meaning of it whole.) Than I went to study computer science since I was really interested in AI. I could continue but to make it short, I really feel like we are in some sense similar and I'm happy to know that such people exist because I don't know anyone like me and I feel a bit misunderstood by the society... But to get to the "speeding up time" question... Actually I agree with the things you've proposed in the video. My personal opinion is that the root cause of the problem is that the older we are, the less novel things we experience which in turn means that less moments are stored in our brain as memories. And this means that in retrospect we feel like not that much happened lately, i.e. time is speeding up. However this is not all the time. There are times when I still experience some novel things and the time slows down substantially. For example last year I traveled to Rome for the first time and I was really immersed in the present moment there while constantly curiously looking around those beautiful buildings etc. And the time was flowing really slowly. Even in retrospect it feels like I've been there for a really long time since a lot of things happened. To say a few words about the mindfulness meditation, I really think there is some truth to that it slows down our subjective time. For me when I actively practice meditation, the time slows down for me and is slowed down even for a few hours after the meditation. I suspect the reason why the meditation slows down our subjective time is because it shifts our brain to viewing the world around us with "fresh eyes" similar to when we were younger. I'll give you an example: After I meditate I'm able to enjoy looking at my cup on my desk even though before the meditation I wouldn't get any pleasure from that. Since I enjoy this moment of looking at my cup, the time is slowed down (anything that we enjoy or generally are emotional about we experience as slowed down in the present moment). This moment is also stored as a memory (without meditating looking at my cup wouldn't form a strong memory since I wouldn't find this view novel and enjoyable as I do after meditation). And the more memories we form about that moment, the more we feel like our subjective time passed slower in retrospect since we can recall a lot of things about that moment. So really, meditation seems to be some kind of tool to slow down our subjective time by giving us "fresh eyes" which cause us to form more memories about the moment we are in. To me it means I have two choices to slow down my subjective time as an adult: either travel to the Rome for the first time or to meditate.
Meditation has definitely helped me to slow down time and be more mindful. So yeah daily meditation is the answer for me to keep myself in the present moment.
You one of the few TH-camrs who can actually make me sit and listen for 10 mins to everything you say. I feel like you are able to articulate answers to questions I didn’t even know I had. Loving the vids
Dude , this is soooo true , it's like you read my mind
Beautiful comment 💛
I feel.exactly the same
For me life is slipping by quickly because I'm so busy doing so many things. When I look at the clock I'm like holy crap it's already such and such time. And that's on a smaller hourly timeframe. The same thing happens with days, weeks, months.....
Sheesh.... at 13 years old he was having an existential crisis about time and life being short. At 13 years old I was more worried about my mom finding my stash of "naughty" girly pictures (sorry but youtube algos banned the other word) and stash of weed.
1. Stop running from yourself and face your demons
2. Be weary of comfort. Avoid the same old cyclic routines. Try to do vipasana.
3. Seek discomfort and practice mindfulness to avoid distractions.
slowly is the fastest way to get where you want to be
th-cam.com/video/p0nhVS1hkSI/w-d-xo.html
vipassana meditation
I’ve definitely experienced that anxiety of feeling like I’m racing against time; but I’ve shifted towards a different mindset after doing what I love everyday
I personally think that everyone should go through some sort of mental hardships once at least, they teach you a lot of things. But its better if you you learn the things without having major mental hardships
This is so apt for me right now. A friend of mine died recently and strangely, this has actually made me slow down. I don't fear running out of time - I fear missing life while worrying about the future. Now I seem to have more time than ever, and I'm spending it on people I love.
Same. I just lost the mother of a neighbor yesterday. We were close and now I'm so keen about living my life unapologetically to the FULLEST
i feel similar. i lost my stepdad, whom i was very close with, in october 2021. i have been able to appreciate my life a lot more since his death. my mindset shifted immensely and i try to enjoy my life and make good memories, instead of studying for college 24/7, which was basically my only activity for the last two years.
@@nicoledu My condoliances to you, wish you a fulfilling life.
Your self-awareness is unmatched, man. Don't beat yourself up, as you're likely living the life you've always wanted. Don't worry about the metrics; if you put in quality work, people will notice it and acknowledge you for your time and effort.
You're doing what you love for a living. Slow down and appreciate that as much as you're able to.
Namaste 🙏
Beautifully said!
One thing I've learned from traveling for the past 8 years is that constant discomfort is overrated, comfort isn't the demon that we make it out to be and we don't have to leap out of our comfort zone constantly to live our best life, putting in the work to get good at something with incremental improvement can be much more rewarding than taking a trip to the other side of the world. Trying out a class in something new in our city can be thrilling, having a difficult but needed conversation with someone can be a better opportunity for growth than backpacking in Thailand. It's not all about the big picture, the small things count much more than we give them credit.
Yes, this is a well thought out comment😁, something I have been trying to articulate in my head.
@caprice.t True, I guess what I'm saying is that we don't always need to maximize discomfort =)
yea.... 'get out of your comfort zone' , like who cares? what the point of all that unless your experiences are shared in social media and you get social validation and admiration. health benefits? nah...all that hassle in travelling is not helpful to mental health. its all superficial like a headless chicken running around trying to appear busy and goal oriented.
unless you have a healthy connection with a significant person, providing for a family, nurture and wholesomeness, these messages... proliferation of what to do, checklist of this and that, are all meaningless and surface level experiences.
@caprice.t i understand...i still abide to principle of time though.. time is what you make of it and inorder to truly engross oneself to certain phenomena, one needs to savor it sensibly. how deep, thats another engrossment one needs to discover within...
a food, depending upon whose sense of taste (temperament) can be somewhat savor by an infinite number of ways... subtle nuances...
if you dont know how to train your senses to enrich an experience by being totally present, the experience never really reaches ones being, one is not touched by it..
one after another, without contemplation, these experiences dull ones mind and the seeming allure of novelty expires...
My e
The risk I took was calculated but boy, am I bad at math...
lmaooo
Life really gets clear when it's in relation to death. We often live our lives as if we have infinite time. When death feels close, what's important becomes obvious. This is one of the reason why monk's will often contemplate and even visualize their own death. But if you've really felt death close, for either yourself or someone close to you, it's very powerful.
Also a note on mindfulness. It's not just being present to your experience, it's being open to it. We have lived similar experiences so many times, that we think we already know what each experience holds, so we aren't really open to it. We aren't really paying attention. We live in a sort of trance, thinking we need special achievements to feel alive and so we aren't really open and curious about the simple moments. But life is in those simple moments. It's not in the achievements, those are always transient and short lived. If you keep thinking you need a peak experience to feel alive, you'll miss what life actually has to offer.
Beautiful
A friend of mine died a couple years ago, and it was an eye opening expirience, I felt so alive that it made me feel like a bad person. Then the grief came and it all went away. But that experience remained and sometimes I do feel it again.
When death comes everything stops, suddenly all that you thought was urgent does not have any importance. You just are. You just look around trying to understand life. And in that moment when everything stops, you start looking to the details again, you start valuing the wind, the sun, the day that arrives. Because everyday it's a reminder that death it's timeless and you start to live this timeless day by day. Sadly you see better through the tears. We're usually so closed. But death cracks you open.
Thank you for sharing this...well said🙏💛
oh man this hits home for me. always feels like theres 10 times more things I'd like to do than I have time for
When time feels like it's passing too quickly, I literally go somewhere that has a nice view and just sit there by myself and stare at it. After a while, a lot of "big problems" don't seem so big anymore and life starts to feel normal again.
Me currently
Yesss!! Watching the sunset, the sky or the moon
Bonjour Jamie .
It's was what i was doing in front of the océan in Madeira Island.
Merci you maid me cry and i have 66 years old.
The things that I do that really help life go by slower are to simply be as mindful as you can at any given moment. Take a deep breath. Look at all the details and beauty that surrounds you, no matter where you are. Admire that crack in the street, or really listen to those birds. We block so much of our senses and we take them for granted. When was the last time you stopped to smell a flower or to watch a bird in a tree? When was the last time you left your house without your phone? When you're on a bus or metro, do you simply sit or stand, just listening to the screeching wheels or feeling the movement of the train? All these little things add up to making life so much more enjoyable. ❤️
Also, staying off of social media makes a HUGE difference. So much time wasted that goes by in the blink of an eye.
Lovely comment, I can totally relate! Beauty can be found in the simplest things! :)
Yes to this comment 🌸
The last 2 years from 25 onwards have definitely created this exact feeling of anxiety and time constricting my life quicker and quicker because I am not currently where I need to be in a broad sense, to progress. It's incredibly hard to pull your head out of this void and realize that 1. your life should NOT ever be compared to anyone else's. Just because someone else is having kids now, buying their first home, or getting married, doesn't mean you're behind. 2. Stop worrying about the past and future and focus on the present. Live each day as something new and 3. value what you've already got. It's so easy to take for granted the greatest things in life because we get too wrapped up in the things around us. Just live and find your peace. Find your happiness.
Appreciate everything what you have cause no one knows when the last goodbye is
Do you mind sharing why you feel like you are in not in the place you want to be?
@@hypnoticlizard9693 Hi I just found this comment, and I know I'm not the op but I also feel this way.
I am in a job I don't particularly enjoy. I can't relate to the people in my workplace that much. I also earn a decent but basic salary (It will take me 10 years of being extremely frugal to buy a tiny apartment in this area( I don't like the area either).
I don't have many friends anymore because most people I can relate to lives far away from me. Most of my interactions with friends comes from gaming and the odd time I go visit my one friend who lives far or when my brothers friend comes back from working in America.
I struggle a bit with addictions towards social media, etc which is a huge time waste and probably where allot of my problems stem from.
I want to study in Computer Science or software development just for the salary and work environment you get with it, but I don't have the courage yet to take on that mountainous challenge and studying it part time with my 6-6 job would mean I have zero free time left to game with friends etc.
Oh I'm 24 from South Africa BTW.
@@pfourie507 Hey Pieter, you've described a situation that's nearly identical to mine at this time haha. Housing is wildly unaffordable in my area and I don't care much to live here anymore personally. My job is fine in terms of salary but its no career, and I am no longer growing. I wanted to transition into an IT roll but got a bit overwhelmed and lost confidence in myself to take on something so different. I have a university degree in a field ive never worked in personally lol, but theres that. All of my close friends are no longer so close and I spend most of my time living what feels like more of a digital identity. This has to be the year of change, because I can't keep this up forever.
Story time... This past week I rediscovered some of my old journals from 20 years ago, beginning when I was 21. It was nearly five years worth of my daily life. Recently, I'd been thinking of that period in my life, and while I remembered a few of the major things that happened (coming out, a couple of toxic relationships, leaving home and going back to school), I just could not remember half a decade's worth of life. Your line at 8:57, "Constant discomfort can be a form of comfort" absolutely resonated with me. As my journals revealed, those years were truly miserable. I was depressed, doing the same thing day in and out, not even remotely approaching my potential. But like some kind of sadist, I repeated that misery for years for the sake of comfort. Because I couldn't bring myself to break out of that cycle (and if we're being honest, because I didn't think I deserved it), until I finally did.
And I'm so glad I got out of that rut. It led to some truly beautiful things... marrying my husband, adopting a daughter, traveling the world, living in foreign countries. But that's not to say these patterns of time slippage never reappeared. I'm lucky that my husband can sense when I (or we) have lost forward momentum because he will definitely do something about it. Alarmed at the prospect of wasting our lives, and how deeply unhappy I was at my job of six years, he found an opportunity to move to a new country. That's how we relocated to Tokyo in 2019 and continue to try to make the most of the time we've got.
Another excellent and thoughtful video!
Only normal to care about views, especially since you're a full-time TH-camr - you're doing great man.
Love Vipassna. Did it twice and yes, it's hard. Really hard. Worth it. PS. Great video.
I loved that you brought up Comfort being able to come in many different ways....like constantly traveling to new countries and always on the road. My mother passed away when i was 21 and i then spent the next 4 years traveling the world....it became my way of life...it became my comfort zone so much that i was more comfortable being in one country one day and then being in a completely new country 4 days later. I think it was a form of running away from dealing with my mothers death. Read a book called "Wherever you go...there you are" if you just want to accept where you're at in life and not fight the current. Go with the flow and let it unfold. No reason to fight it
Your phone speeds up time. We are the phone generation and if you look into the science of how your brain behaves when on a phone - it's a bit horrifying. It REWIRES YOUR NEUROCHEMISTRY in detrimental ways. It mimics ADHD and acts as a stimulant, making you speedy and unfocused.
You know how too much coffee make your day go by in a whirl? You find yourself zooming through something random online in a blur. Your thoughts are scattered, you're restless. That state isn't normal for humans. We evolved to sit naked in the sun talking to our tribe - we've never had this many distractions.
Cut down on your phone and TV use. Replace that with deeper activities - reading, walks where you just think and look around you, meditation, long rich weird conversations.
You literally dissociate from life on your phone. Look up!
Like your words very much 🥲❤️
I swear every single time I think about something, I see a video about it from Nathaniel a day or two later hahah!! I was literally just searching this up and was not satisfied with the answers I found. I have always chased experiences, and thought that doing that now would be the answer too, but it wasn't. I was chasing experiences simply for the sake of it and it just didn't feel the same. I too realised that I was wasting a lot of time thinking (I spend way too much time thinking about all of this, and every decision I make) rather than just living. It's hard to let go because of the potential regret of having not done enough, but for now I have just decided to exist and do things again when they feel right rather than filling my time to keep myself busy simply for the sake of it.
Great video, Nathaniel! Being a person that suffers from anxiety since I was a kid, that feeling of time passing by so fast is enhanced in my mind, together with the constant fear of what the future might bring. I've been able to manage that a little bit better with journaling, especially by registering the good/bad moments of each day, and then making a monthly review. I collect photos, tickets, quotes, etc., and it has helped me live each moment in a more present way. Anyway, just wanted to continue the conversation, like you said... Have a nice week!***
I enjoy your thoughtful videos! I’m 57, an artist, and 2 years a widow this Tuesday. Since I was young, time slipping away has always been a concern. Time is fascinating to me also, I love time travel stories, a chance to see how others have lived in different periods. I think spending as much time doing the things you love, while living simply is helpful. Feeling fulfilled and satisfied with the life we’ve lived is at the core of concerns about not having enough time. For me it is making art, going to the beach, and spending time with nature. Since I’m a landscape painter it all fits together. Not necessarily alone, I paint with other artists sometimes. Even though I’m goal oriented I still think it’s important to spend time with family and friends. After I became a widow, after a period of adjustment and reflection I decided to move to my most ideal place. This was the most difficult period of my life, and during the pandemic. I found a nice town on Lake Michigan, our happy place, where there is a good art community, and a more convenient drive to see family. I’m very excited for next summer! Best wishes! Have a good one!
It feels so good to read your story. More power and peace to you 🙌🏻✨
I wish you all the best for your journey ahead. You seem inspiring. I've recently started to sketch and paint. I love watching artists in action. They are always a treat to the eyes. Have a wonderful summer! ❤
Would love to see your art, Tracy! Wonderful message.
Pleeaaase do more on time, your views on time are directly in line with mine. I just turned 18 and been suffering form a existential crisis since 16. I am extremely scared of the future, the idea of not having the freedom of childhood and having to grow up into a live that billions of other people in the world live. Bring kids to school, work, take kids from school, eat, sleep repeat. Eventually regretting it when im 60. It scares me and I want to become indepentent like you are. I want to travel and take in the fullest potential of life. But your point on continously chasing that is a reminder that even that could lead to life passing by very quickly. I think that we underestimate the days and evenings on which we take a step back. And enjoy the moments of callmness, and doing nothing. Taking every opportunity you get or saying yes to everything you could do will lead to days and weeks passing by very quickly.
Thanks for reading my words, i normally don’t do this and keep things to myself. So it was hard and i appreciate your time and efford of reading it!
I used to worry about this. I love children, I'm great with kids, but when i see people doing the school run or back gardens filled with plastic toys and mess, or messy houses covered in baby food, i shudder. That life isn't for me. I dunno why. I've been having those thoughts since I was 14 - now I'm 32 and I still don't have kids, and I'm so happy about it. I just get to play with my friends kids instead! Don't accept pressure to conform, do what makes you happy. The rules to life that society tries to push onto us are just made up bullshit. You don't need a house, marriage or kids if you don't want them!
@@rdsunshine34741 Respect your message, thanks for sharing! Keep doing what your doing, i will try to be myself and do what i love instead of doing what i society thinks i love!
I like the vlogging thing dude! And great reminder btw!
"Anything in life can be a distraction" is so true because when we are pursuing things in life, we can lose sight of ourselves. It is universal to want to run away from the most paramount things in our lives. What I've learned at the ripe young age of 23 (and what I am trying to apply) is that we need to be pursuing things that are aligned with our values. If you're chasing an incredibly audacious goal that sounds good in your ears and the ears of others, it can seem like the right thing to be doing. But if that goal is pushing you away from being aligned with your non-negotiables, then it must not be that great. Slowing down forced me to understand that, until a couple days ago, I had no idea what my values were.
So slowing down is the best possible thing we can do.
It forces us to get small and focus on the things right in front of us.
Gandalf said it best "all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us"
I have constantly felt anxious over the thought that time is slipping away and there’s only so much I can do.
Actually, Eckhart Tolle’s book, “The Power of Now” is a good read for those who looking to gain some perspective on this topic.
We often just focus on climbing higher and miss all the beautiful little things that are happening in our daily lives. Therefore, take a deep breath and please share one thing you are grateful for right now 👇❤️
I’m 24 going on to 25 and I’ve been following you for a cool minute and truly, your philosophy on life is one that resonates with me most. Thank you for always being willing to share your experiences and your craft. You’re a real inspiration :-)
I have struggled with that feeling of running out of time. What I've done that helps is moving to new cities every few years to break up the routine and monotony of life. I move back and forth from city to suburbs. It's a bit of a culture shock.
Also some other things that help me:
•Staying busy with work
•traveling
•new hobbies
•waking up earlier everyday
•meeting new people
I haven’t stop for a minute since I turned like 30, my life have been passing me by very quickly, I am now going to be 36 and aside from all the experiences I’ve had, I keep in mind I still have a very fulfilling life. Even though turning 36 seems to be like if I was going to be 70. Nathaniel have created once again, a masterpiece of a video. It would be almost a dream to be able to spend a day talking to this guy. Lucky the friends that have Nathaniel in their lives.
Tell me about it. I'm gonna be 30 this year, and man, do I feel old! When we are kids or teenagers or even in college, it seems like we've infinite amount of time. Now, when I look back and notice how 30 years have whizzed past, I feel like life is slipping away superfast.
At the same time, I feel more mindful now. I want to live fully goibg forward whether I get to live 10 or 40 years. I definitely don't feel the same about time anymore.
@@urvashisangwan8858 I heard you my man. Now I can honestly say that life is a quick second. Even if you travel, push yourself to the unknown and become the person you want to be and feel good about yourself. All in all is about YOU and that’s it.
I always say that silently when watching. What a blessing and privilege to have a solid , level headed wise friend like this.
Nathaniel, I’ve noticed (especially in this video) that you’re getting more comfortable being yourself in your videos. That’s a difficult thing to do, and as someone who struggles with being comfortable with themselves, kudos! It makes me really happy to see that and wish you all the best!
I’m in my early 30’s and just contemplating these questions now. You’re well beyond your years my friend. I spent most of my 20’s in constant discomfort travelling all of the time because I was afraid to be in one place and build deep relationships. Don’t regret any of it at all though because it helped me become who I am today. And it was fun. But now I’m in a place where relationships now become the next challenge to overcome in my life. Sometimes we just need to prioritise which poison we pick as there are always many of them, and take them one step at a time. So I can definitely relate. Great video 🤙
Thank you Nathaniel for pouring your heart and mind out. You have had of an impact on so many more people you can imagine. ♥
The happier you are the faster time goes. The more miserable you are the slower it goes. The more detailed you are the slower it goes, the less detailed the faster it goes. Increasing the keenness of one's attention slows life way down.
I've always thought Einstein Theory of General Relativity makes sense. That our relative experiences in life is what dictates how much time passes by. But generally time goes fast when something exciting comes up, but slow when it's mundane.
Hey Drew, thanks again for the video and great conversation!
As a former Vipassana attendee what I can add is:
Don't worry about blocking the 10 days, or being aware of possible excuses/fears.
When the time arrives and if arrives, you will know it and will do it.
See you in the next video 🙏🏻
Maybe you're right about this man. Earlier I found the idea of doing Vipassana sexy, but when I finally got the opportunity I got cold feet. Maybe I'm not yet prepared to do it.
Nathaniel, you inspire me. I am an 18 year old who is passionate about creating things. Writing is the one thing that has always kept me afloat. I have an immense passion for story telling, and you inspire me to pursue my dreams without fear of failure or judgement. Your videos continue to open my eyes and create pathways to new thinking. I just ordered your “Amor Fati” shirt from Yes Theory. I am so grateful for you and can’t thank you enough.
Holy Moly... such wisdom from you and yet so young! And so much to unpack here. I have lived in the USA for over 65 years in a Corporate Climate of acceleration lifestyle. And for the last year moved to Portugal for a more sustainable lifestyle of both stimulation of the new and a tranquility of the life pace.... the best gift I have ever given myself... Keep doing all you are doing, young Nathaniel. You are making an impact.
Give this man a netflix show so that he becomes even more known and that more people can learn from him.
Still love your content! Been subscribed since 2018 or 2019, don’t know anymore. “Time has flown” lol 😂
Damn. This video is what I needed. Mindfulness is so important. I just deleted all of my social media apps to try and be more present in my life. Naturally, I've found other distractions. This video is the mental kick in the butt I needed. I want to love my life again.
That's why the book Momo, by Michael Ende, hit so hard when I was a kid. I read the story when I was 8, and it was about this exact thing, which I found impressive and never looked at life the same way as before.
its nice knowing that people think about the same topics, for hundreds of years, i find a lot of beauty in that!
Because earth is speeding up?
Okey lemme watch the video first lol
The “Influencer in the wild” thing you mentioned:
I’ve been trying to shoot in public more often lately to try and overcome that insecurity.
It’s honestly surprising me how much it’s helping me put a little bit less priority on what people think of me. I think it’s a necessary practice in my case lol
Nathaniel, you keep getting better with each video !
I’m 24, going on 25 in May & feel as if I’m finished while simultaneously knowing I’m a fetus
@@justheretocommentokdontwan685 Hear Gary V’s take on folks your age. Fascinating perspective to attain. Cheers, mate! Live your best life.
i think the answer lies in finding flow states. Time slows down when your skill matches the challenge, novelty is correlated with this, as you need novelty to continue to be challenged, but it is not novelty itself that is operating.
Thanks for this video, it really came at the right time for me. I've been going through some pretty bad anxiety over the thought of dying and life slipping by too fast. Hearing your thoughts on this and knowing I'm not alone helps
I always felt like life was passing by and not living in the present, I would look back in the past and look forward to the future which made me both depressed and anxious, one thing which helped me was to let go and go with the flow and do things at a time which made life much better.
I agree with you. These are the conversations I'd love to have with someone close to me too. Philosophy in general is a wonderful topic to talk about. When you propose such hypothesis and conclusions on your own and share your idea about things, it just feels satisfying and amazing. I don't watch your content often but when I do, I can just relate to so many things
Yes! Few years back I was always doing this and that and distracted. 7 years of my life goes by super fast. Nowadays, slowing down and doing one thing at a time is super comfortable to me. I choose what I would invest emotionally in. Life is slower now.
Drew- I have been considering a Vipassana retreat for a few years now (COVID canceled my first attempt but application #2 goes out in Feb!). I would REALLY LOVE to hear your views on attending and experiencing a retreat and definitely think it would be worth it in many different respects. Amor Fati!!
The 10 day retreat is amazing. The first day you gather and get to see and chat with others then you go right into the silent retreat, basically acting as if you’re all alone, not speaking one word unless necessary. They serve great vegetarian meals. Daily you meditate about 10 hours and get a couple of meal breaks and a snack break. There is also time for walking meditations on your own. It was really challenging controlling the thoughts and focusing but that’s the whole point is to train your mind and become less reactive in general.
Impeccable timing. Needed this so deeply.
Love the slight difference in style from these new videos! So incredible.
I really like that reminder to “Wake Up”, rise from the buzz of life to truly live. Memento mori.
If you are reading this all of the things you have manifested and are manifesting the life for you . You are aligned with the universe. You are attracting all positive things in to your life. That new home, that new job , the abundance, the financial stability it’s all coming . I am confident
I am enough
I am worth of love
I will have abundance.
*We should be sick of the sociaty that promotes weak men!*
"Do things one at the time" is so so powerful. Great video Nathaniel! I'm an argentinian waiting for my Amor Fati delivery to Italy. Cheers.
Maybe there is no solution. Life is just slipping by quickly.
As a person who has done 4 Vipassana courses in the last 6 years, I highly recommend this experience. Especially the subsequent work of maintaining the practice of meditation every day.
I love your videos and that you bring this topic to youtube ♥
I tried to get novelty by searching more new things on the internet.
Time sped up more.....
Each year that goes by gets shorter than the one before, and I've really been feeling that since I turned 30. Thankfully, that feeling motivated to use my time more effectively and immerse myself in creative passions. Thanks for the video, Nathaniel!
9:35 "We are not made to be multitaskers, and we live in the world that tries to pretend that we can." - brilliant!
My mantra is “one day at time” ✨🙌🏽
We constantly fight against time but we just have one day at a time 💕
“A lifelong concern of mine has been running out of time” me watching this video in 2x speed to save time 💀
To the *incredible person* seeing this, I wish you all the best in life❤ don't over blame yourself, accept things and go forward. Don't let others define what “success” is for you. Get up, learn the skills needed and get after it, all the keys to a happy life is in your hands. Keep pushing.
Thanks a lot dude. I wish you a healthy and happy life too
I watched this video and my aunty literally passed away right after watching this. I was reading through the comments and people were talking about how death can give you a different perspective of time. I come from a very traditional ethnic family, so in that instant of finding out, I cancelled all of my priorities for this week. My brother and I immediately went to buy food and make a meal for my uncle who was grieving in the hospital alone. It didn't even go quickly and time didn't stop either. It was just so very in the moment. I was very tapped into my feelings and my heart, I was trying to understand how to be there for my uncle and his young children, and how to be of service. I wasn't in my head with my thoughts - I couldn't fathom thinking about time. I was just so deeply present to the expereince that my responsibilities and priortizies meant nothing to me, I just wanted to show my support and appreciation to my uncle who has done so much for me. It was a beautiful experience to acknowledge that time didn't need to matter and that I could just simply... BE. Rest in Peace to my aunty Susan, may you forever be a shining light to your two beautiful children.
I've felt this way for as long as I can remember. A sense of urgency I can't shake other than with meditation. Still, one of my greatest fears is a life unlived. And traveling has been one of my escapes. Thank you for articulating this all so beautifully and thoughtfully!
Holyyyy moly this video has resonated! The constant underlying feeling of urgency can be so debilitating, and constantly running and rushing to try and keep up just isn't the answer. Thank you for sharing this with us mate, as you always do...it's challenged my thoughts and opinions 🙏
Nathan I have loved watching your videos over the past few years, watching you grow and understand the value of things like mindfulness and meditation. It honestly feels like I grew along side you a little. I'm glad to see more youtubers talk about how they're realizing that happiness comes from within, it's so important for them to share that realization with the world. This will probably sound cheesy, but I can see the passion and curiosity in your eyes when you talk about your interests, it is so bright and beautiful. Keep up the good work man
True story is, when I was born I blinked and I have turned 33.
Yesss as someone who faces existential crises from time to time this video was definitely insightful 😮💨 thank you so much for sharing!
Honestly I felt like my younger years flew by and I didn’t capitalize on it at all. I constantly reflect on that and I’m already filled with regrets. I’m turning 28 in a few months and I’m trying to live life fully starting now.
This is such an amazing video! it motivated me to make my ovn arcticle on my blog about this theme!
Bro , in order for you to even come close to living life fully ,
First we must know our purpose and the reason we are here .
Are applaud your openness to meet new places and people , it was that very situation , and setting where I can see God humbled me , brought me a high place (physically - it was the mountains ) and a low place (emotionally spiritually )
In that state - & only in that state did I find myself mouthing the words “God if you’re real show me ?! “
Looking back Nathaniel , I was broken , completely lost and broken .
The very next day a lady arrived out of nowhere in my hostel .
She asked “mark will you pray with me ?”
“Nah “ I said
Then after 5 mins I was on my knees - tears rolled down my cheeks .
I asked - “who are you ?”
The lady turned and said “ mark im a missionary “.
Allow God to be God , for him to be our purpose and our joy .& for all those who are yet to meet God , I pray he will use this message , and all of the outside circumstances he is using to bring you to that place of surrender .
Blessings ,
Jesus is the way the truth and the life .
Mark :)
Loved this video! It accidentally started playing after the other one I watched by Sorelle. And this was absolutely what I needed to see! Made notes on some of the quotes you mentioned, and others that I guess are by you (A constant discomfort is a form of comfort!)
And earlier I was doing exactly that, letting some unnecessary thoughts suck out my time and energy, just due to the fact that I am unsatisfied of a certain turn of events.
I am learning to trust myself and fully accept that the decisions that I make or had made in the past, were/are the best decisions I can make at the moment! I honour and accept that. If anything needs to change or it is in my power to do so, I follow that.
Thank you for your awesome videos and your openness.
Love the clothes and your motto, "SeekDiscomfort" Guys are awesome! Amazing that you guys are collaborating.
Gracias Nathaniel!! Tus videos han enriquecido demasiado mi vida y me han ayudado a entender mejor muchas cosas, sigue con esos temas y videos que ayudan también a disfrutar más de la vida, que en este momento se está pasando por cierto, jajajaj gracias!! 😄👋🌅
Honestly meditating more frequently throughout the day has been life changing for me recently. I also try to dedicate a couple of hours to full silence and really want to engage in a silent retreat soon.
Thank you for this. Your thoughts were echoed for me today when I listened to Malcolm Gladwell's conversation with Oliver Burkeman, author of "Four Thousand Weeks. Time Management for Mortals", which seemed to hit exactly the same notes... (Over at The Next Big Idea Club.) "Slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be", indeed. In the moment, present with yourself, with the process, knowning and unknowing your limits one moment and heartbeat at a time, alive.
By the ˹passage of˺ time!
Surely humanity is in ˹grave˺ loss,
except those who have faith, do good, and urge each other to the truth, and urge each other to perseverance.
- Quran Chapter 103
I've never connected to the above verses as I did just now. Thank you.
The Quran says: The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day, the extent of which is fifty thousand years. 70:4…..And on the Day when He will gather them, [it will be] as if they had not remained [in the world] but an hour of the day. Surat yunus.
Wait til you get to be my age, its a road race!! LOL
Oh my god I love your authenticity Nathaniel! Had goosebumps when you said that these are the kind of conversations that you like having at a dinner party. Thank you for being who you are and continuing to inspire.
Exactly. At 69 I moved to Mexico to begin a new life adventure.
When I wake up in the morning, and I anticipate my alarm, my thoughts go racing and it feels like an hours but when I look at the clock and it was only five minutes. When I do not anticipate my alarm and just go to sleep again I will feel like I was woken up in the next moment when it was in fact almost half an hour. My theory is that we relate time to the speed of our thoughts. You feel like your thoughts can basically go buy at infinite speed, but you comprehend each thought as a little conscious voice in your head which speaks at a certain speed. This is why experiences where you’re relaxed and you don‘t think much, time goes by quickly, but when you’re bored and your thoughts are racing, every minute feels like an hour, because YOU get new ideas. The less you have to think consciously about something the faster it goes by. This is my theory.
Wow... Can't put into words about the appreciation of the work you put into these videos 🔥
That was me :-) Adventures and new experiences and travels were a form of escape. It only took a pandemic to make me sit still and look inwards. 💕 Thank you for this.
In Buddhism, there is a way to describe what you meant by “chasing experiences as a distractions” and it is called a “false refuge”. False refuge is anything that we use to run away from reality. It can be chasing experiences/novelties, video games, exercise, traveling, having kids, anything we use to help distract ourselves from the underlying discomfort and unsatisfactoriness one may feel if they allow themselves to sit still.
The Buddha advised his followers to be cautious of creating a false refuge for oneself. The three things that you can take refuge in that will not lead to suffering is the Buddha, dharma, and sangha. Only through one’s insight and looking inward to help see things as they really are, is the path to true happiness. True happiness that is not dependent on conditioned things.
Ahh!! I've been in vipasna retreats three times in one year, and they were three days long each. to say the least, they transformed my life:) I always wondered if you would actually like doing something like that, and I was correct :)
The primary reason why I feel like time is slipping by is that the day job takes up most of my waking hours and energy. I need to do it in order to keep a roof over my head and pay for food and basic expenses. The cost of living keeps going up and up so...what to do? I still haven't figured it out.
Those numbers dont define you......what you do is valued, even if its by only a few people.....and honestly I love what you do....so thanks!
Amazing thoughts, I've come to the same conclusions.
I would invite someone who talks about this to a dinner party any day! 🤣
This video is so well-timed for my life that I might cry. I've been struggling with this exact question for the past week. I just came back from a big vacation, started a new job, and my girlfriend left on a trip to Mexico (why this also feels so fitting that you're there).
I find that this sense of accelerated time also seems to be coupled with a loss of meaning. Setting goals (slow goals, if I listen to your first point) has been very helpful. Cheers!