Quick Take: As Chasing The Present shows, when we finally come to the realization that we have all the answers, our problems don’t feel so overwhelming.
I’ve always considered myself to be a self-questioning person. For better or for worse, I’ve never been satisfied with the status quo and the expectation of what society considers a “successful life.” I studied Buddhism in college after years of fascination over the idea of the minimalist lifestyle, including non-attachment and impermanence. And I’ll admit, these ideas sometimes led to nights of unsettling future projecting, but as soon as I was able to reel in my thoughts about tomorrow’s unknown, I felt a simultaneous sense of control and relief wash over me. All I can do–all anyone can do–is focus on the present. This very moment. Right Now.
Chasing The Present, the new documentary from Mark Waters, feels like a crash course in the basics of spirituality and consciousness. It’s easy to put yourself into the shoes of the main subject, James Sebastiano Jr, who travels the world on a journey of self-inquiry to explore the root cause of his lifelong battle with mental health issues. The gurus, healers, and therapists (including Russell Brand) remind James, and in turn, us, that the only way to end suffering is to break free from attachment. The ego has gotten too comfortable running the show, and when the ego is bruised or starved for attention, we tend to act from a selfish place. Over time, this selfishness leads to unhappiness and emptiness that goes against the only thing (besides food & water) that we as human beings have been biologically conditioned to need: connection. A life lived without a pure connection to oneself and the world isn’t a very fulfilling life at all; there’s a reason why those on their death beds never regret spending time with loved ones while the career milestones and material wealth end up seeming wholly unimportant.
It’s easy to distract ourselves from the awful events happening in the world by turning on the latest reality TV dating show or jumping on any number of social media platforms (highly recommend Netflix’s The Social Dilemma to dive deeper into this topic), especially right now. But the only way to get through these tough times is to acknowledge that we have the power to tap into our consciousness and see beyond the hatred and despair and heal ourselves. Beyond anxiety, beyond thought, freedom is possible.
Distributed by 1091 Pictures, Chasing the Present is available to rent on iTunes, Vimeo, and more, today.
