Why I Choose a “Slow” Life

The Power of Presence: Embracing the Ordinary to Live Fully

Author

Ark
June 16, 2025

In a world obsessed with chasing the extraordinary, we often overlook the beauty of the mundane. Most of us spend 95% of our lives in ordinary, everyday moments—waking up, eating breakfast, driving to work, or spending quiet evenings at home. Yet, we’re conditioned to feel like we’re missing out if we’re not pursuing the other 5%: the exotic trips, the dopamine hits from new purchases, or the thrill of ticking off bucket-list achievements. But what if the key to a fulfilling life lies not in chasing the extraordinary but in fully embracing the ordinary?

I used to feel the pull of this mindset. My days were predictable, structured to a fault. I’d wake up, follow the same routine, and rarely leave the house. Deep down, I felt I should be doing more—chasing those big, shiny moments that social media glorifies. Then, a friend invited me on a whirlwind adventure: a 47-hour trip hitting three countries, culminating in a full day riding rides at Disney World. It was one of the busiest weekends of my life, and yet, it was also one of the most present.

Something unexpected happened about 12 hours into the trip, while standing in line at a café in Vienna, Austria, where Sigmund Freud once sipped coffee. Soaked by rain, without my phone (I hadn’t bought service), I felt the world come alive. The raindrops on my skin, the intricate architecture around me—it was as if I’d woken up to what being alive truly feels like. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t distracted. I was there.

This experience taught me a profound lesson: busyness doesn’t always equate to distraction. At home, I could be idle, scrolling through social media, listening to podcasts, or checking notifications, my mind racing in a million directions. Yet, during that chaotic weekend, I was fully engaged, even during an 11½-hour flight that was technically the worst I’d ever taken. We chatted, walked around, and even embraced boredom—and it felt liberating. I realized that our modern lives, driven by an attention economy, often rob us of this presence.

As an influencer, I’ve studied this phenomenon. Companies pay for attention, not just ad space. The more eyes I can draw, the more brands are willing to invest. But attention is finite, and billions are spent to capture it. The average person spends three to five hours daily on social media—mindlessly scrolling at red lights, in the bathroom, or during a work break. It’s a trap of constant consumption, an escape from being alone with our thoughts. I fell into it, too.

That trip, though, was like a mental defragmentation. Hours without a screen allowed my brain to process, to breathe. I wasn’t checking emails or worrying about work—I was simply present. There’s a quote that reshaped my perspective: “The future never comes. Life is always now.” We obsess over what could be better tomorrow or different yesterday, but the only moment we can act in is now. That realization sparked a change.

Back home, the old habits crept in. The trip wasn’t a one-time fix; staying present requires daily effort. So, I started small. I stopped using my phone before 8 a.m., even though I wake up at 5. At night, I put it down to avoid consuming until I sleep. In the car, I ditched music and podcasts. A 20-minute drive, just me and my thoughts, became transformative—watching the trees, feeling the breeze, and processing life’s stresses. These moments of boredom, of being, refreshed me in ways I hadn’t expected.

Physical activity became another anchor. Sauna sessions at 170°F or cold plunges at 45°F demand your full attention—you can’t think about anything else. Playing pickleball for two hours puts me in a flow state, where time vanishes, and I’m fully alive. These experiences ground me, pulling me out of the digital haze and into the moment.

I also noticed how distraction seeps into relationships. The average American spends limited, often distracted, time with their kids—TV blaring, phone in hand, mind elsewhere. I was guilty of this, too. Now, I have a rule: when my kids are around, the phone is off. Five minutes feeding chickens with my son feels infinitely richer than five minutes scrolling Facebook Marketplace. Time isn’t equal—it depends on where our attention lies.

If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: embrace boredom. Pick one distracting habit—social media, constant music, endless notifications—and stop. Spend an hour staring out a window. Drive without the radio, at the actual speed limit, not rushing to shave off two minutes. These small acts of presence might just change how you experience life. The ordinary moments, when lived fully, are where we find the extraordinary.

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