The French have a saying worth remembering: “prends le temps de vivre” which translates to “take the time to live.” It makes me wonder. The Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote in an essay titled On the Shortness of Life that “it takes a whole life to learn how to live.” If he’s right, it begs the question, how do we take the time to live such that we don’t waste any time, not even a moment, learning how to? Perhaps such roundabout musings are a direct line to doing just that, or are the exact thoughts that will lead you off the trail where you’ll meet your inevitable destiny regardless.
What does taking the time to live look like anyway? Slowing down. Being mindful. Embracing stillness. Reflecting. Accepting. Directing your focus to the here and now, forever and always. Such lofty pursuits it seems like only a small few ever reach the summit.
The key word missing here is practice. Practice slowing down. Practice being mindful. Practice embracing stillness. Practice reflecting, accepting, and directing your focus to the here and now — just for now. Practice taking the time to live. And no, practice does not make perfect. Practice makes progress. Making progress is a sign you’re taking the time.
You know what is a great way to practice taking the time to live is to go for a picnic. Even better, go for a picnic at sunset underneath at Landmark 81. I’m talking cold cuts. I’m talking cheese. I’m talking grapes, one or another. I’m talking sweet snacks, salty snacks, all the snacks. Get yourself a blanket. Find yourself a spot. Sit down. Chill. And take the time to live.
I went on a picnic earlier at Landmark 81 and wow, what a time to be alive — what a way to practice. Granted, it’s no Champ de Mars, no sir. But it also doesn’t have to be. The point of the picnic is to practice the easily forgettable art of leisure. It doesn’t matter where you set up camp. What matters is that you set up camp. What matters is that you slow down, way down. What matters is that you be mindful of what you’re eating. What matters is that you embrace the stillness of sitting down at a park. What matters is taking the time for the here and the now.
Seneca is also cited with the idea that “leisure without study is death; it is a tomb for the living person.” Leisure isn’t just free time filled with idleness. That would be wasteful. Leisure should be free time filled with intention. A picnic shouldn’t just be about passive consumption. It’s a great time to read, to write, to reflect, and or chat with others. True leisure, or in this case true picnicking, isn’t simply an escape from responsibilities. It’s an opportunity to escape into a good book, escape into a notebook, escape into a deep conversation with others.
Go check it out for yourself. Go to Landmark 81. Go to Vinhomes Central Park. Slow down. Be mindful. Read. Write. Reflect. Practice. “It is a small part of life we really live,” Seneca wrote, “all the rest is not life but merely time.” Take the time to live. Prends le temps de vivre.
