LIFE IS PASSING BY

“How did it get so late so soon?
It’s night before its afternoon.
December is here before its June.
My goodness, how the time has flown!
How did it get so late so soon? “  

            This very brief and somewhat confusing poem was composed by the unforgettable American author, poet, cartoonist and artist Theodor Seuss Geisel, who published more than 60 children’s books under the pseudo-name, Dr. Seuss. Many of these books have been ranked among the most popular children publications of all time, and have been translated into more than 20 different languages. Even in their apparent childishness, the stories conveyed profound lessons on social and moral issues that relate both to children of all ages, and to adults. In this poem, Dr. Seuss, in a confusing and disjointed manner, was referring specifically to a profound concern of many people as they get older. Many authorities believe that he was in fact reflecting on his own life which, at the time of publication, was reaching its end. It appears that he was expressing, like so many others at that age do, that his life was slipping away before his own eyes, and he was lamenting his disappointment that this was happening long before he was ready to accept it.  

         Feelings of increasing disappointment that life is passing by long before we are ready to accept the end is by no means an uncommon happening in today’s setting. This seems to be happening more and more in this current society where life revolves less on what happens today, and more on what tomorrow holds in store. Most of us are locked into our daily routines of just living for today, and strenuously resist any form of change that may disrupt the routine. And quite often we do this in spite of being fully aware that in doing so, we may be letting opportunities for growth and happiness slip away. We resign ourselves to the risk of ending up feeling sorry for ourselves and of regretting the lost chances that have gone by, while envying the successful persons who ventured out and are reaping the rewards. We compound this feeling by spending much of our time either preoccupied with the things that we did in the past that should have been done better, or being paralyzed with fear that any attempt to try to do things differently now, will only lead to more regrets. It is no surprise therefore that we end up holding on desperately to the present even when we know that doing this will lead to more futility and disappointment. We never seem to learn that we can never hold on to the relentless march of time, and that the harder we try to do so, the less we succeed. The ultimate outcome of doing so is one of emptiness, as was so exquisitely described by an Anonymous Author when he observed:

“Time is like a handful of sand, the tighter you grasp it,

the faster it runs through your fingers.”

            But finding one’s life purpose is neither an easy undertaking nor does it follow proscribed rules. However noble and rewarding it may appear to anyone who successfully achieves this, the fact is that the great majority of people still choose to conform to rules rather than break them. They are content to continue to live as they have always done to be sure to get the results that they always got. They prefer the daily routine to which they are accustomed, rather than to spending the time and energy necessary to find the effort, passion and direction needed to take a different road. This indeed is the fundamental difference between the majority, who choose the easy road of safety and conformity, and the others, who travel on the more challenging, rocky and risky road of seeking life’s fulfillment. Lord Buddha, in his great wisdom, alluded to this fact when he offered the following meaningful advice:

“No one saves us but ourselves.

No one can and no one may.

We ourselves must walk the path.”

People in general are usually content with what they have and are quite comfortable with this. They are reluctant to try to risk testing  anything unknown for fear of failure. Deep down, at the subconscious level, a conflict rages between having to give up something tested and tried and therefore ‘good’, for something new and unpredictable and therefore ‘not good.’ More often than not, the former invariably wins out. All the people who have succeeded in changing their lives have all recognized that creating any form of change in their lifestyle requires effort, faith and confidence. Without these, it would have been an impossible task to leave their harbor of comfort and safety and step out in a direction that is frequently uncertain and unpredictable, with no guarantee that their effort will be rewarded.

 Interestingly and equally significant, contrary to the prevailing impressions, those who eventually stepped out and were successful, were never motivated by any blind envy of others or irrational impulses, but did so with a deep sense of understanding and commitment in themselves and their capabilities. Their initial steps may be timid and cautious, but they are always accompanied by a determination to move forward, and a vision that drives them on to seek change. This indeed, is the nucleus that makes the difference between those who spend their lives just living, and the other, more successful ones who seek the best they can from life they have. The late, great Ghanaian diplomat and former secretary-general of the United Nations, Kofi Annan placed all of this in the right context when he wrote:

 “To live is to choose, but to choose well.

You must know who you are and what you stand for,

where you want to go and why you want to get there.”

  

This conflict between holding safe or moving forward plays itself over and over in the minds of so many people, particularly as they are growing older and beginning to look back. During the early years of life, the young are so occupied with the challenges and opportunities unfolding around them that they give little time to the thought of an end, far less to looking back. Their concern is on climbing to the top of the mountain as quickly as they can, without any thought of what comes after. But with age comes increasing awareness and introspection, and with this comes the inevitable reflection on a life already spent; and yet to be spent. Too often the answer is full of disappointment and dissolution, coming from an awareness that so little has been accomplished and so much more has been left on the table. This is precisely what Dr. Seuss was lamenting in his poem when he asked:

“How did it get so late so soon?”

Similar regrets are heard over and over in every setting and in every country of the world as people become conscious of their road’s ending with much still undone. These feelings are aggravated by the belief that all is lost because they may be getting too old to be able to try again. When added to the effect of aging and the diseases that inevitable comes with age, it is not surprising that the incidence of depression and isolation increases dramatically among the older population. This is what Norman Cousins, the American author, political activist and peace advocate whose life was spent fully engaged, despite significant heath problems, was alluding to when he noted:

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss in life is what dies inside us while we live.”

Any change or innovation however, will only begin when we are convinced that that this can be a ‘good’ thing and we address our subconscious resistance that any change is likely to ‘hurt’. Society’s obsession with values that reward conformity to rules and regulations must also be questioned since this might well be the most significant obstacle to overcome. But for the countless numbers of people from all walks of life, who have successfully ventured forward into new and exciting horizons, there is an unbelievable satisfaction that could never be imagined. The names of these people will fill endless volumes of the books of life and even though the circumstances were different, the constant theme over-riding every story involves challenging the status quo and living the new dream to its fullest.

I have no doubt that every one will have his own list of people who have successfully challenged themselves and have gone on to achieve far more than was expected. For me the following have proved beyond any reasonable expectation that life offers opportunities to those who search, even to the very end:

Raymond Kroc, at the age of 52, after a life of lowly unspectacular employment and beset by chronic medical problems, set out to build the McDonald Brand into a meaningful enterprise and succeeded to make it the world’s greatest, by the time he died 30 years later.

Grandma Moses, a woman who first took up painting to replace her needlework because of arthritis at 76, after a long life working in the farm. She died 25 years later after creating more than 1000 paintings and a reputation as one of America’s greatest artists.

Louise Hays, whose early life was a disastrous mixture of abuse, rape, early pregnancy and poverty. She spent most of her early adult life drifting through a variety of jobs and a broken marriage. At 48 she found religion, became an inspirational speaker and author, and 10 years later successfully founded Hay House a book publication firm, and built it into one of the biggest company in the self-publishing industry.

Peter Mark Roget, a distinguished British physician, founding member and early secretary of the prestigious Royal Society of Medicine who after retiring at the age of 70, turned his attention to compiling the Thesaurus of English Words, considered to be the standard reference in the English language. He continued to expand this until his untimely death in 1869.

But these stories are not necessarily limited to special people exploiting their special talents. There are endless examples of people who were able to rise above their existing status and successfully change their lives. Such examples as:

Sylvester Stallone, a young man who spent his early life working at odd jobs in restaurant, animal care and acting before he turned to writing a best seller and getting it accepted and produced, with him in the star role as “Rocky”.

Brad Pitt, the very successful and accomplished actor who spent his early life as an animal impersonator and limousine driver, before launching his second career in acting.

Andrea Bocelli, the highly accomplished Concert Singer and musician who began his career as a Defense Attorney before he changed his job some 10 years later to begin classical singing.

        The overriding theme that goes through all these stories relates far less to lack of opportunity or experience or good luck. Rather they are more related to the individual recognizing the need for change and finding the courage to do so. It is not enough to admit that life is passing by more quickly than expected, but it is much more important, to make use of the time available in such a way that leaves you without regret. The successful American author and inspirational speaker, H. Jackson Brown, Jr., reminded us all of this when he wrote:

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same amount of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.”

Clearly, we all are afforded opportunities to live our lives to our fullest. How we do it and how much we achieve will depend entirely on the attitude we bring to bear at the time. The fundamental difference is never in the opportunity, but always within us. It depends on whether we a willing to choose conformity, avoid any risk taking and then live in regret of lost opportunities, or to grasp the challenge and ride the wave to new experiences. This could have been what the great English playwright; William Shakespeare was leading to when he wrote the following observation in his literary masterpiece, Julius Caesar:

“There is a tide in the affairs of men.

Which when taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life,

is bound in shallows and in miseries.”

<       >

-KINDLY SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS-