A short post today on a sobering thought I had over the Christmas holidays and that I have pondered a little since.

While watching a film I had the realisation that I would almost certainly never see that film again. It isn’t that it was bad, it is just that with such a huge amount of art to be experienced, it is very unlikely that I will devote another two hours of my life to that particular film. The same can be said for most films, and books and even many places that I visit. I may well never see the Pyramids of Giza again, or read Macbeth again or see the Grand Canyon again.

I will experience some of these again through choice or circumstance, but many beautiful sights, great books and superb films I will only experience once. Expanding on this thought I realised that even if I do see them again, I will be a slightly different person; every single experience and moment is unique.

I’ve come across quotes on this topic before but because of the proliferation of out of context spiritual one-liners on the internet they have usually washed over me; I hadn’t understood until I went on this little journey in my own head. The simple realisation that I would never see this film again, or many others really hit home.

Much is written about meditation, mindfulness and living in the moment and I am a strong advocate of these practices. As well as the psychological benefits of mindfulness in turning down the volume of worries about the past or the future, I need to try be in the present as much as possible because every experience really is unique and once it has passed it will never return.