Of time

A Jayanthi

“Oh, If only I had more time…”

“There is so much to do and I have no time, I am so stressed.”

“If I had my way, the day would have 26 HOURS and the week would have EIGHT DAYS.”

We often hear such statements around us. We learn about time in our childhood– how to look at the watch, tell the time, what a day is, what a week is, what the cycles of a season are, etc– but never have we learnt the value of time.

According to Oxford dictionary, time management is “the ability to use your time in an efficient and effective way.” I manage my time by following the four Ds of time management– Do, Delegate, Defer (non-urgent tasks) and Delete (unnecessary tasks).

Time is best epitomized by the hourglass. As soon as we set it upright, sand starts slipping through the minute hole at a furious pace, never to move back in the same direction. Time similarly moves forward, a moment once lost never comes back.

Time is a liquid asset

.It has two dimensions – horizontal and vertical

It has three facets – past, present, and future

It is ephemeral – i.e., no moment of pause

The nature of time keeps changing

Time may be favourable, neutral, or unfavourable

Time is priceless

The time available to a person is equal to the life of that person

So, time if lost, can never be recaptured, let us use it wisely.                  

Of the journeys we take

The journey is important and not the destination, they say. Similarly, the path we choose to walk on is important and not so much whether or not it leads to success. There may be several means to achieve our goals, and how and which particular path we choose becomes important. Our choice may not be popular with other people, but as long as we remain honest, focused, and dedicated on our chosen path, we will reach where we want to. We may not taste success immediately, but we must remember that we do not have any control over the end or the result and can only control the means or our actions. So, as Lord Krishna said in the Bhagwat Gita, “Karm karo fal ki chinta math karo”, “Do your duty, don’t think about the result.” Let not the end or the result determine your efforts and hard work. Have faith, take courage and march ahead, till you attain your goal.

The author is TGT – English at Army Public School, Chennai. She can be reached at jayanthianand1969@gmail.com.