I'm convinced that answering these 2 questions can lead to a better life, but to explain how, we must first understand our relationship with time.

我堅信回答這兩個問題就可以讓生活更美好，但在解釋如何做到之前，我們必須先了解我們與時間的關係。

You can think about life as a series of moments unfolding, one after another.

你可以把生活看成是一系列時刻的演變，相連而成。

Each dot represents a moment, and the line connecting them represents the passage of time.

每一個點代表一個時刻，而連結它們的線代表流逝的時間。

We call the moment we're currently in the present, the moments we've experienced the past, and the moments yet to come the future.

我們把我們當前所處的時刻稱為現在，我們經歷過的時刻稱為過去，以及尚未到來的時刻稱為未來。

So in other words, the present is where the past and the future meet.

所以換句話說，現在是過去和未來的交匯處。

The present is all we ever really experience, and it's where the past is reaped and the future is sown.

現在是我們真正經歷過的事情，也是收穫過去和未來播種的地方。

Since the present moment is all we ever really experience, let's get rid of all the other dots for a second.

既然現在是我們所經歷的一切，那我們先把其他的點都去掉。

Now consider this question: if you could experience one thing in each present moment, what would it be?

現在思考一下這個問題：如果在每個當下你只能經歷一件事，你會做什麼？

For me, the answer was this: I ask that each present moment be meaningful.

就我而言，我想要讓現在的每一刻都有意義。

Now let's consider the present and the future together.

現在讓我們一起思考現在和未來。

The line connecting all of the dots represents the axis of meaning.

連接所有點的線代表意義軸。

I find that as time goes on, as the entropy of my life increases, as I take on more responsibilities and hardships, it becomes harder to experience meaning in each moment.

我發現隨著時間的推移，隨著生命熵的增加，隨著我承擔越來越多的責任和艱辛，就更難體會到每一刻的意義。

I think about how easy it was to be fully immersed in the moment as a child, and how often my mind wanders and is preoccupied now as an adult.

我想到小時候完全沉浸在當下是多麼的容易，而成年後心思常常飄忽不定，且總是心事重重。

So each moment requires greater strength than the last one to produce a meaningful experience.

所以每一個時刻都需要比上一個時刻擁有更大的力量，才能產生有意義的經歷。

How can I get each moment to stay on the axis of meaning instead of drifting away over time?

如何讓每一個瞬間都停留在意義的軸心上，而不是隨著時間的流逝而漂移？

In each moment, the only thing that matters is our next action.

在每一個時刻，唯一重要的是我們下一個行動。

The only thing we ever perform is our next action, and it starts in the present, but it ripples on infinitely into the future, helping to create it.

我們唯一做的事情就是我們的下一個行動，它從現在開始，但它無止盡地延續到未來，幫助創造未來。

And as I mentioned earlier, the present punishes a lack of meaning, and the future punishes weakness.

正如我前面提到的，現在會懲罰沒有意義的事情，而未來將懲罰弱點。

So I look for an action that brings meaning and strength in each moment.

所以，我在每一個時刻都在尋找一種能帶來意義和力量的行動。

When it comes to finding the right next action, there is no one size fits all.

在尋找合適的下一個行動時，沒有一套標準的方法。

Watching an hour of TV a day might bring one person strength, while it might bring weakness to another.

每天看一個小時的電視可能會給一個人帶來力量，也可能會讓另一個人軟弱。

And depending on the circumstances of our individual lives, we may be either person.

而根據我們個人的生活環境，我們都可能是其中一個人。

During one season of our life, we may find it beneficial and strengthening to relax on the couch and watch some TV.

在我們生命中的某個時段，我們可能會發現每天輕輕鬆鬆躺在沙發上看電視是有益處且也是有能量的。

But during another season of our life, we may find it makes us weaker.

但在我們生命的另一個時段，我們可能會發現這種放鬆使我們變得軟弱無能。

The same goes for activities like weightlifting.

例如舉重等等其他活動，亦是如此。

Weightlifting may be meaningful to one person, while another finds it meaningless in the moment and prefers to go for runs, play sports, or do circuits at the park.

舉重對一個人來說可能是有意義的，而另一個人卻覺得完全沒有意義，反而是喜歡去跑步、運動或在公園裡來回走動。

Discovering the right next action is a unique process that depends on the individual, the demands of the moment and their environment, and what brings them meaning and strength.

發現正確的下一個行動是一個獨特的過程，它取決於個人所處當下環境的需求，以及帶給他們的意義和力量。

Even the words I used, meaning and strength, might not resonate with someone else.

即使我說的：意義和力量，也未必能引起別人的共鳴。

But I think the central problem always comes back to this image and two questions: what will the present punish me for, and what will the future punish me for?

但我覺得核心問題總會回到這個圖像和這兩個問題上：現在會懲罰我什麼，未來又會懲罰我什麼？

Or in other words, what does the present reward, what does the future reward, and how can I act, in this moment, to receive the rewards of both?

或換句話說，現在能得到什麼，未來能得到什麼回報，且此刻我該怎麼做才能兩全其美？

If you have different words in mind, let me know in the comments: what does the present and the future reward/ punish you for?

如果你心中有不同的想法，請留言告訴我：現在和未來你能得到什麼或被懲處什麼？

As always, thanks for watching and I'll see next time.

老樣子，感謝收看，我們下次見。