The value of time

One of Albert Einstein’s students asked him to explain his abstruse “Theory of Relativity” in a way that anyone could understand. He answered, “A day spent with a beautiful woman seems like a moment, but an hour at a job you hate feels like eternity.”

It was an excellent analogy devoid of scientific jargon, but it also reminded me that time is a precious gift that should not be frittered away.

As a child, none of us is caught in the constraints of time. The infant cries when it is hungry, plays when it is happy, and sleeps when it wants to. It holds no grudges and is ready to smile when entertained. It is when we get older that considerations of time get a hold on us.

We are taught and trained to cater to its demands. Parents, teachers, and social demands encourage us to set goals. Being successful becomes all-important, and we proceed to attain it by honest or dishonest means. In the meanwhile, we devote all our time to the pursuit of success.

Promotions and possessions occupy all our waking hours. However, the rewards do not match our expectations. We are overcome by anxiety, loneliness, and even depression often resulting in frail physical health.

What is more, the passing hours remind us that we will have to leave behind all that we have amassed.

We realise that there is more to life than buying and owning, and that time spent in pursuit of personal gain cannot bring satisfaction and peace.

We can avoid this sorry state of affairs by keeping in mind two factors. First, remember to live in the ‘now’. We tend to brood over past experiences that were unpleasant or worry about the future. But the past cannot be changed, and the future is uncertain. Only the present moment is ours; we should do all we can to make it useful and happy. Secondly, we humans are social animals with an inherent and deeply felt desire to be related to others and to be kind and considerate in our dealings. After all, we are remembered for who we are and not for what we have.

Here then is a beautiful reminder: time is free but it is priceless; you can’t own it but you can use it; you can’t keep it but you can spend it; once you have lost it, you can never get it back.