The Sunday Guardian

Dates on a calendar

- By (Late) Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Someone has rightly said, “A day you have lived fully was your day. All other days are simply dates on your calendar.” There are two ways of leading your life. One is to pass your time, and the other is to avail of your time. If you live just to pass time, you are wasting your life. But if you spend your days meaningful­ly, you are living. You are making proper use of this blessing that is life. Every new day that dawns brings with it many opportunit­ies. These opportunit­ies do not loudly announce themselves. Rather, they speak very silently. It is for us to recognize them and to use them in a properly-planned manner. You need to be able to skilfully discern the opportunit­ies that come your way every new day. You need to able to recognize which opportunit­ies are truly for you and which are not. You should be able to appreciate how the opportunit­ies that are indeed for you can be availed of in a peaceful way. You need to be able to know the best and most realistic way of employing these opportunit­ies, and also the limits within which you must remain while doing so.

Furthermor­e, you should be aware that in using them you do not transgress into someone else’s territory. There is another very important thing you need to remember while setting about using the many opportunit­ies that come your way every day. And that is that you are not alone in this world. Just as you want to go ahead with making your life, there are vast numbers of other people who are impelled with the very same purpose. If you want to succeed in your life, it is very important for you not to come into conflict with others. You need to be able to navigate your life without clashing with them. Just as you have some interests, others, too, have their interests. A successful person avoids clashing with other people’s interests and sails ahead to attain the purpose of life.

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