The Importance Of Time

The greatest wealth a person has is time and opportunity— not the time that may come tomorrow, but the time that is available right now. A person who keeps waiting for the “right time” is like someone running behind a fast-moving train. Naturally, he will not catch it. What we call success is actually the ability to use time properly. And failure is simply the inability to use time well. Time comes equally to everyone. But only those succeed who know how to take advantage of it. Time is like ice. Suppose two people bring home equal blocks of ice. On the surface, both seem to be in the same position. But in reality, the true owner of the ice is the one who uses it right away. The person who delays—even if he holds the ice—is not its true owner. Very soon, the ice will melt and disappear, leaving nothing behind. Time will never run after us. We have to run after time. Whatever we need to do, we must do it within the time we have. Once time is gone, we won’t get another chance to do what we had planned. The perfect moment to act for your goal is the moment you have now. If you don’t catch hold of time now, it will go so far that you will never be able to catch it again. All India Radio, New Delhi, 2-4 December 1980