Editor's Note (June 2026):
The article below was originally written in Marathi on 9th April 2015. While the world has changed dramatically since then, the central question remains as relevant as ever: Are we so busy building a life that we forget to live it?
In today's fast-paced world, finding free time has become increasingly difficult—or perhaps more accurately, it has become a rare luxury. Unfortunately, no matter how wealthy a person becomes, this particular luxury often remains out of reach. Yet, it is an indisputable fact that free time is a royal privilege rarely enjoyed by anyone.
Finding time for oneself and using it purely for personal happiness is becoming an increasingly rare phenomenon. In fact, people who genuinely manage to do so deserve to be studied rather than criticized. Yet, criticism is usually what they receive.
They are wasting their precious time.
They could be doing something productive.
They could be getting ahead in life.
They are squandering opportunities.
Many people believe that a person should remain constantly occupied. Every moment should be productive. Every hour should contribute toward success. Every day should move us closer to some future goal.
But is that really living?
For decades, we looked toward nations such as America and Britain as symbols of progress and prosperity. Today, the global landscape is changing rapidly. New economic powers have emerged, technology has transformed how we live and work, and success is being redefined across the world.
Yet despite all this progress, one thing remains unchanged: people everywhere are still struggling to find time to simply live.
We often look at those who seem relaxed and assume they are wasting precious opportunities. We tell ourselves that time will eventually teach them a lesson. We even convince ourselves that people who slow down are somehow responsible for holding society back.
But is that truly what we believe?
Or is there a small voice within us that secretly wonders what it would feel like to have that kind of freedom?
A life where there is enough time to breathe.
Enough time to sit quietly.
Enough time to do something simply because it brings joy.
Most of us quickly dismiss such thoughts as unrealistic. We consider ourselves practical people. So instead, we dream practical dreams.
We tell ourselves:
One day, after I earn enough money, I will relax.
One day, after I achieve success, I will travel.
One day, after I reach my goals, I will truly enjoy life.
Perhaps we imagine ourselves sitting peacefully on a beach, watching the waves roll in. Or walking through snow-covered mountains. Or simply spending uninterrupted time with the people we love.
What a fantastic life that would be!
The thought itself feels wonderful.
If the mere thought of it feels so wonderful, imagine the thrill of actually experiencing it. Yet for many people, these dreams remain permanently postponed.
Even those who eventually achieve them, often don't experience the joy quite the way they had imagined. While sitting on a beach, might be physically present but mentally absent. While on vacation worrying about business, about the work or occupied mentally with some distant problems & while spending money, they worry about the future.
And then there are people who end up spending their entire life's savings on doctors—as if they had toiled all those years solely to line the pockets of medical professionals in their old age.
Why does this happen?
Because in our pursuit of success, and chasing money all our lives we often neglect ourselves.
We postpone joy.
We suppress simple desires.
We sacrifice health.
We convince ourselves that we will live later.
If this becomes the reality in the twilight of our lives, then an uncomfortable question emerges:
For whom were we living?
To impress whom?
To prove what?
There is a saying in the Marathi language, 'If you try, even oil can be extracted by rubbing grains of sand'.
This idiom is used to established the importance of hardwork & trying one more time if failed.
We spend years grinding away at life—much like attempting to grind sand in the hope of extracting oil.
But what exactly are we trying to extract?
Life quietly passes by while we remain busy preparing for it & we miss out on the leisure time.
Many people reach the later years of their lives without ever discovering what they truly wanted from life in the first place.
I am reminded of a story I read many years ago...
An American businessman once visited a flower shop in a small village to purchase a bouquet. After specifying the flowers he expected to get them quickly.
The florist worked calmly and patiently, taking his time to arrange the flowers.
The businessman became impatient.
"You are working too slowly," he said. "You have beautiful flowers, yet looking at you, it doesn't seem like your business is doing very well. If you worked harder and faster, you could have franchises of your shop all over America; you’d become famous and make a fortune."
The florist smiled and asked, "And then what?"
The businessman replied, "Then you could buy a house in a quiet, small village like this one—perhaps by a beautiful, gently flowing river. You could sleep soundly, play with your children, go for walks with your wife, have wonderful conversations, and stroll around the village meeting friends and spending time with them. You would become attuned to the joys and sorrows of the people around you. You could play the guitar, dance, and sleep under the stars; your life would be filled with wonderful happiness."
The florist looked at him and said:
"If that is the destination, why should I waste so many years of my life chasing it? That is exactly how I am living today."
The lesson is not that we should stop dreaming.
The lesson is not that ambition is wrong.
Dream big.
Work hard.
Create wealth.
Build something meaningful.
But do not forget to enjoy what you have already earned, because if you do not enjoy it now, when will you?
Would you do at sixty what should have been enjoyed at thirty?
We often feel that a day will eventually come when everything happens exactly as we wish.
One day life will finally slow down. One day we will travel. One day we will spend more time with family. One day we will pursue our passions. One day we will relax.
The trouble is that "one day" has a habit of becoming "never."
Life does not begin after the next promotion, the next milestone, or the next financial target. Life is happening right now.
Work hard. Dream big. Build wealth. Create impact. But do not postpone living until some imaginary future date.
While we are busy preparing for life, life itself quietly passes by. So no one knows what lies in the womb of the future?
Do you know what your future holds?
If your children are on vacation, take them somewhere.
If a long weekend arrives, create a memory.
If an opportunity presents itself to spend meaningful time with your loved ones, embrace it. And occasionally, give yourself permission to be happy without waiting for a reason.
It’s a fresh start to a new chapter in life.
You need not neglect your work or abandon your responsibilities.
You simply need balance...
Balance between work and family.
Balance between ambition and contentment.
Balance between building a future and living in the present.
If it is possible, do it.
If it seems impossible, find a way.
Because 'later' is always uncertain and life is happening 'now'.
Blog by 'Life Coach & Business Mentor' Shailesh Tandel
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