Presence & the Struggle of Being

I’ve been thinking recently about what it means to be a human being. Not just a human, but a human who is being. Each of us have been through so much in life: we’ve held different roles, felt different feelings, and worked hard to get closer to the version of ourselves we’ve been dreaming of. I’ve held many roles too but often I feel that I live this life passively. I’ll be sitting with friends or watching television, being inactive and time passes quickly. Like I’m sitting strapped in a Tesla that's self-driving through time, and me along with it. Autopilot mode, you could say. When these moments happen and I feel I'm mentally absent, it helps me to observe what's around me and let myself feel the feelings. 

I remember that I don’t just want to be a human, I want to be a human being - to exist in this present fully and intentionally and take control of the time around me. Our ability to “be” - to be alive, to be present, to be grateful, to be breathing, and infinitely anything else - is a testament to the miracle of each of us. 

What does being a human being mean to you? How do you remind yourself to live each moment with intentionally and take control of time?