Why Is It So Difficult To Enjoy The Present Moment?

I spent years thinking happiness was just around the corner. However, a trip to Ocean Grove changed my perspective.

The author with an aurora in Ocean Grove, Victoria. Here, the Southern Lights and stars are visible due the low latitude and lack of light pollution. Photo taken by the author’s girlfriend and used with permission.

We’re standing on the edge of the world. Or at least, that’s what it feels like. The soft sand beneath our feet on Ocean Grove’s beach stretches toward the horizon, dissolving into the black waters of the Bass Strait.

The stars shine brighter than I’ve ever seen. Here on the southern edge of Australia’s coastline, the night feels untouched, far away from the city lights of Melbourne that normally swallow the sky.

“I could stay here forever,” says my girlfriend Marie, her voice barely audible above the loud ocean waves.

“Me too,” I reply with a gentle nod. “Me too.”

We came to this beach to stargaze and catch a glimpse of the Southern Lights. But sitting here together beneath this endless sky, I can’t help but feel grateful for what I already have: Marie. I glance toward her, and for a moment, the stars dim in comparison.

“Do you think we rush through life?” I ask. “Spending our days going from one thing to another, that we forget to stop and just… be?”