A quick heart-to-heart over lunch

I grabbed quick lunch with a friend the other day and she told me about her feelings of estrangement from the people around her.

We both shared that feeling yet each of us in her own unique way. She found comfort in traveling and experiencing the thing she loved most; art.

I found my comfort in spending time with my family and doing what makes me feel best about myself; writing.

The quick lunch came with a quick important conversation. We spoke about following what we most desire in our hearts.

In regards to careers, academics, friendships, and love.

We gave each other short yet impactful punchlines on the importance of living our most authentic life here and now. About being present. About the limited time we have to be alive.

For that half an hour, I felt limitless. It was like I could walk out of there and start building up the life I’ve always imagined myself having.

But careers, academics, friendships, and love don’t come easy. They all require a sort of investment from us and that makes it difficult to start anew, and more difficult to abandon.

At that moment, I knew that both of us were sure of what we needed to get into and what we needed to leave behind.

Yet we both, in our own unique ways, felt the pressure of taking our own advice.

For thirty minutes, I believed I was limitless.

But that’s all it was; a quick lunch with a quick stimulating conversation.

I left and went back to the life that I aspire so deeply to rebel against.

One thing I learned though is that some of us let those thirty minutes of empowerment pass and some of us live in them forever.

Only the latter earn the right to say they’re living.