Did You Catch it?

You missed it.

Life.

You wallowed in crippling self-doubt, dopamine addiction tied to your smartphone, anxiety, isolation, and those hills on which you decided to die.

You were in this amazing party filled with these amazing people, and you decided to dance by yourself.

Out in the balcony.

Recording a challenge for TikTok.

And you missed it.

Reality.

Connection.

People.

You missed the glint in Greg’s greedy eye as he talked of his new Mazda and the power it would bring him. Your dad’s subtle limp that he got while making some repairs in your childhood home. Your girlfriend’s exasperated sigh as she did the dishes while you watched the highlights of yesterday’s game.

You missed your best friend’s attempt to confide in you their deepest fears when all you wanted was a picture of the restaurant.

Dude, you’re missing it.

The point.

The scenery.

The fiesta.

Goddamn it try. Enjoy the world. The real world. Not the one you invent in your head. And certainly not the one they sell to you

Discard the lie and embrace life.

Progress.

Humanity.

Observation.

Notice how hard your partner’s been working for your attention, acknowledgement, and approval. How your coworker struggles with the simplest of tasks not because they are incompetent but because they are juggling too much.

Do not miss it.

Get your narcissism out of the way and stop being too self-absorbed. You are important, but you are hardly the most important.

Get grounded. Live where your feet are. Catch your breath.

Don’t let your life pass you by.

Don’t miss it.

It doesn’t come back.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.