I hear that life is too fast now. I hear it all the time. Everyone says that the day is short. A day is still of 24 hours and a year is still of 365 days.
I don’t think life is fast. Life is still the same as it was in 1960’s perhaps. It’s just that we have made ourselves too busy in the run and greed of making more money. Also, people are not good at time management any more. They sleep late, go to work late, think late, perform late, finish late, come home late. Whose fault is that?
Once I also worked more and more so I could earn more and more. But then I looked at old people and found this soothing peace in their lives. I watched them drive peacefully, I watched them sit peacefully, sleep peacefully, eat peacefully, talk peacefully and so on. I watched my father. And then I compared my life. It was on a roller coaster.
Soon I realized life is same for everyone around me, children, teens, young, old. It’s just how we occupy it.
So, I stopped running. I needed money to have lavish lifestyle. Well, I had money for a lavish lifestyle. Therefore more was not required because more will not be for me or my child; it will be left in the world for my distant family to enjoy (who probably haven’t worked hard at all.) So I changed the gear.
I have plenty of time for everything now. I still wake up at 4 am but now I stop working at sharp 7 pm. Whatever the work sometimes is left, I say it will be done tomorrow and world will still remain the same. Noting will stop. But forcing myself into finishing something after 7 pm will only make me stress and the damn world wouldn’t care.
So I changed.
After 7 is only my recreational time for past three years. I exercise in the most peaceful gym in Karachi, I run, I exercise, I swim, and then I relax in sauna. I come home and sleep at 10 pm peacefully. Waking up early provides me good amount of fresh time to do yoga, meditate, read, paint, study, prepare lectures for my students, take care of business, cook, enjoy quality time with Wiki (my husband) and EmQue (my daughter) all day, go out on a date with my Wiki every now and then somewhere nice. Spend a day on the beach every second week. It’s remarkable. I don’t run after people. I focus on me and my family. And I eat breakfast and lunch slowly while enjoy watching TV and chatting with Wiki and Emque everyday.
When I drive, I drive peacefully now just as peaceful as a 70 year old man. I keep car speed reasonable. People on the road cut me, and I give way without letting it hurt my ego, without screaming. I listen to music and enjoy driving. No matter how lazy a person is in front of my car. I don’t honk to rush him. I take it as an opportunity to look around and enjoy the scene. I am always in the middle lane, going smoothly. When someone, ignorant of lane rule of the road, wildly honks at me to move out of the way, I smile and I feel pity on him. He wouldn’t overtake which he should do but waste his time honking and cursing. I give way though. And I think that would rushing to be in front of everyone on the road (which is like running after his own tail) ever get him
to reach the next junction before the red light? And then when I come to the traffic light, I see him next to me. I laugh again. You know what he achieved? High level of stress only. I still reach every place on time without zigzagging on road, without screaming, without cursing, without causing annoyance to anyone. When you want to be somewhere on time, then leave earlier that estimated time. It’s simple.
When Wiki drives. Sometimes he rushes. I tell him to enjoy the life. Enjoy being peaceful. Enjoy the tranquility of the moment. And he does. I can see his face turning into a face of a new born sleeping.
I mostly enjoy sitting and talking to people who are 70 or older. Talking to them make me realize how life was when they were young. They make me realize life is good. They emit peace. They are my good social friends.
I keep same peace maintained during all my activities throughout the day. Never rushing. Letting time get along with me instead of running ahead of me. I am not lazy, slow or old. I am just good at time management. That’s all.
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