Time is always favourable, all we have to do is befriend it

Children, our most precious wealth is time. Even if we lose a million dollars, we might still be able to recover it, but we can never regain lost time. Many realise the value of time only in the last moments of their life. Alexander the Great, who built one of the largest empires in the ancient world, understood the value of time only when he was on his deathbed. Realising that death could seize him any moment, he told those around him, “If there is anyone who can lend me even a single breath, I am ready to give him half my kingdom as compensation. In a bid to conquer nations and amass wealth, I squandered precious time and health. I now realise that I cannot stave off death for a single moment even with all my wealth.”

Only experience can teach us the value of time. If we truly understood the value of time, we would cherish every moment as if it were a priceless treasure. Once, a man received a letter asking him to attend an interview for a job he had wanted for a long time. In order to reach the city where the interview was being held, he had to take two connecting flights. There was a half-an-hour gap between the two flights. He went to an airport restaurant and had a snack, for which he was billed Rs 500. Seeing the bill, the man said, “This is way too much. I did not eat so much.” 

Seeing how upset he was, the cashier reduced the amount by a hundred rupees. But the man insisted that he would pay nothing more than Rs 300. Faced with no other choice, the cashier finally relented. Feeling triumphant at his victory over the cashier, the man sauntered to the boarding gate, grinning all the way. When he reached the gate, he learnt that his connecting flight had taken off five minutes ago. Caught up with petty bargaining, he had forgotten his goal, and thus missed the opportunity of getting the job he had been dreaming about.

Societies and nations are comprised of individuals. If we look back through history, we can see that all conflicts originate from conflict within the individual. Where lies the origin of this? It is the lack of awareness of our true nature, the one living power within us, of which we are all a part. The role of spirituality, true religion, is to awaken this awareness and help us develop qualities like love, empathy, tolerance, patience and humility.

Suppose a person has to cross a river by boat. Upon reaching the other shore, he has to leave the boat and move onwards. If he insists on clinging to the boat, his progress will be hampered. Similarly, we have to give more importance to the goal and not be overly attached to the means. Some people complain that time is not on their side. Time is always favourable, but we do not befriend time. It is we who decide if time works for or against us. Not realising this, we become slaves to circumstance. 

If we just sit and wait for good times to come, many good things will pass us by. Do not wait for a propitious time to do a good deed. If it is good, do it at once. The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian

<br /> Children, our most precious wealth is time. Even if we lose a million dollars, we might still be able to recover it, but we can never regain lost time. Many realise the value of time only in the last moments of their life. Alexander the Great, who built one of the largest empires in the ancient world, understood the value of time only when he was on his deathbed. Realising that death could seize him any moment, he told those around him, “If there is anyone who can lend me even a single breath, I am ready to give him half my kingdom as compensation. In a bid to conquer nations and amass wealth, I squandered precious time and health. I now realise that I cannot stave off death for a single moment even with all my wealth.”</p> <p>Only experience can teach us the value of time. If we truly understood the value of time, we would cherish every moment as if it were a priceless treasure. Once, a man received a letter asking him to attend an interview for a job he had wanted for a long time. In order to reach the city where the interview was being held, he had to take two connecting flights. There was a half-an-hour gap between the two flights. He went to an airport restaurant and had a snack, for which he was billed Rs 500. Seeing the bill, the man said, “This is way too much. I did not eat so much.” </p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Seeing how upset he was, the cashier reduced the amount by a hundred rupees. But the man insisted that he would pay nothing more than Rs 300. Faced with no other choice, the cashier finally relented. Feeling triumphant at his victory over the cashier, the man sauntered to the boarding gate, grinning all the way. When he reached the gate, he learnt that his connecting flight had taken off five minutes ago. Caught up with petty bargaining, he had forgotten his goal, and thus missed the opportunity of getting the job he had been dreaming about.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>Societies and nations are comprised of individuals. If we look back through history, we can see that all conflicts originate from conflict within the individual. Where lies the origin of this? It is the lack of awareness of our true nature, the one living power within us, of which we are all a part. The role of spirituality, true religion, is to awaken this awareness and help us develop qualities like love, empathy, tolerance, patience and humility.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Suppose a person has to cross a river by boat. Upon reaching the other shore, he has to leave the boat and move onwards. If he insists on clinging to the boat, his progress will be hampered. Similarly, we have to give more importance to the goal and not be overly attached to the means. Some people complain that time is not on their side. Time is always favourable, but we do not befriend time. It is we who decide if time works for or against us. Not realising this, we become slaves to circumstance. </p> <p>If we just sit and wait for good times to come, many good things will pass us by. Do not wait for a propitious time to do a good deed. If it is good, do it at once. The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian<br />