The What’s Next Machine

I was walking behind a mom and son on my morning walk. The boy was around two years old. If you asked me his age before I had kids, I’d have no idea. But, after watching my kids grow, I became acutely aware of their age, like watching the seconds tick away on a clock.

Experience builds knowledge.

Halloween decorations are starting to spring up in our neighborhood. Upon seeing a large arch of vibrant orange pumpkins, the little boy veered off the sidewalk directly to it. He didn’t hesitate to touch it. His mom rushed to make sure he didn’t damage anything.

Watching the boy—and going through this experience with my own boys—it made me think about how we look at things.

The older we get, the more we know and the less we see. We trade breadth for depth.

That boy wasn’t thinking about his emails or to-do list. He was just enjoying the moment of experiencing those pumpkins.

We start out this way, then spend the rest of our lives trying to get back to the childlike sense of wonder and presence we lost. The modern world doesn’t want you to slow down and pay attention. We’re conditioned to always look at what comes next—how we can get more money, buy more things, or have more than someone else.

More, more, more.

Think about the last conversation you had.

I’m talking about a real conversation. No phones or distractions. Just you and your conversation partner, deeply listening and letting the discussion flow naturally. At some point someone probably said, “how did we even get on this topic?”

That’s beautiful.

It’s a moment of serendipity stolen from the claws of The What’s Next Machine.

Stay here, right now. Be present. Take a walk and notice nature. Look at the flora, breathe deeply, feel the rhythm of your feet hitting the pavement, listen to the birds.

Don’t just look at something or past it to what’s next. Look into it and feel the presence.

The best moment is the one you’re in right now. Enjoy it. Be where you are.