The Mindful Nepali

There’s so much going on around- a friend in Australia is about to devour on a sumptuous plate of momo (as her Instagram story so vividly outlines), an old acquaintance in the United States can now afford a Honda Civic after that much-awaited promotion (new profile picture on his Facebook), an old classmate from school doesn’t seem to get enough of visiting new places (we aren’t ‘friends’ on Instagram but his pictures keep popping up on my Explore feed), and my childhood crush is about to tie the knot with the love of her life- probably in the next 10 seconds (apparently she’s asked her bridesmaid to SnapChat every god damn detail). So much of things happening around me and here I’m- at home in my PJs, writing an essay which probably only 20 people will read. Nothing noteworthy to show for in social media, only so much interesting content to glare at and the subsequent feeling of agitation at the slow pace of my dull and mundane life.

Or is it?

Could it be that someone out there is slowly dying from a longing for their cosy bed at home from having travelled too much? For someone to be anxious to call it a day on their dead-end job and slide into the comfort of their PJs? Or for someone to be craving the luxury to sit back at home and get started on something they’ve always wanted to do but have been putting off forever- like pouring their hearts out through a piece of writing?

I don’t know. But what I do know is that it doesn’t matter. Right here right now, I’m alive and I’m doing something I love: writing with the luxury of sitting at home in the presence of my loved ones around; without any pressure about the number of views this essay will yield. Add to that an old PJ to combat this chilly December evening without having to worry about anyone judging my dressing sense.

I’m not implying that everyone should stop posting on social media altogether. If that were to happen, the whole world would turn upside down, and may even be counter-productive for so many of us who have benefitted immensely. But just that I wish to be content with the here and now. I wish to do away with the constant impulse to seek online validation on every little thing I do (or wanted to do but put it off because I didn’t get a resounding approval on my social media) or to live with the sense of fear that I may be missing out on the grandeur scheme of things.

This little moment to myself is enough. And that’s all I really want for 2017.

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