Time and Health- The Ultimate Priorities in Life
A soldier's battle against his deepest fears amidst the chaos of war teaches us to prioritize our ultimate goals before disaster strikes. Don’t wait for a crisis—live with purpose now.
Introduction
Upon the suggestion of a reliable friend, I watched a promising TVF series titled "Sapne vs Everyone". A particular dramatic scene, which encapsulated the intrinsic theme of the story, caught my attention and prompted deep reflection. It led me to contemplate whether the things we worry about are truly worth our concern. If not, what are the ultimate priorities we should focus on? This contemplation inspired me to write this blog.
The Story of the Soldier and His Fears
In the heart of a battlefield, amidst the chaos and cacophony of war, stood a soldier, his thoughts veering away from the imminent danger surrounding him. Bombs exploded nearby, and gunfire cracked through the air, yet his thoughts were miles away. Beside him, his Major listened intently as the soldier poured out his inner turmoil.(I added little bit of my own creativity, hope you guys don’t mind)
"But, Major saab," he began, his voice strained yet resolute, "when people used to stay in the jungle, they used to be scared of lions, which is justified. But in my city, in my house..."
His words trailed off, drowned out by the cacophony of war, yet his thoughts raced on. Why was he afraid? Why this unrelenting fear that gripped him even in the heart of battle? It wasn't the enemy bullets or the looming specter of death that plagued him; it was the quieter, insidious fears that lurked within.
"Why am I scared of thinking, whether my contributions meets the standards of my folks' expectations?" he continued, his words now a whispered confession amidst the chaos. "Why am I scared of people around me might cheat me? Why am I scared of losing someone or something? Why am I scared of competition? Why am I scared of insults? Why am I scared of people laughing at my failures?"
As he spoke, a revelation began to dawn upon him. It wasn't the physical dangers of war that tormented him the most; it was the weight of expectations, the fear of inadequacy, the dread of being judged and found wanting. In that moment, amidst the turmoil of battle, he realized the true nature of his fears.
"When I'm sitting here, fearing for my life," he confessed, his voice now tinged with a newfound clarity, "all my earlier fears feel worthless and silly."
The Major nodded, his eyes reflecting a lifetime of battles and the wisdom that came with them. "Fear is a strange thing," he said quietly. "In the face of real danger, we often realize what truly matters."
For in the face of imminent danger, in the melting pot of combat, the soldier found a strange sense of liberation. The fears that had once held him captive now seemed insignificant, trivial even, compared to the stark reality of life and death.
"Perhaps," he mused, his thoughts drifting to an uncertain future, "the only time I'll feel like this is when I'm old and on my deathbed, thinking if I had known this earlier, I could have lived my life to the fullest and now died in peace."
With a renewed sense of purpose, the soldier returned to the battlefield, his heart lighter, his mind clearer. For he had faced his fears, confronted them head-on amidst the chaos of war, and emerged stronger for it. And as the battle raged on, he fought not just for victory, but for the freedom from fear that he had found in the heat of battle.
What Truly Matters: Time and Health
After witnessing the compelling dramatic scene, I found myself immersed in a thought experiment. It led me to question the nature of our worries and fears, especially those that seem trivial in retrospect. Why do we allow ourselves to be consumed by fear? What drives this relentless worry that nibble our peace of mind? Unlike the soldier's life, we live in peace, taking life's blessings for granted: safety, fresh air, and stable surroundings.
This brings me to another Netflix story, "The Three-Body Problem," which is a captivating story of an aliens (👽), a sci-fi tale of futuristic technology (Yikes,... brainy(🧠) geeky stuff... Don't worry, I won't get into details). Unlike the inhabitants of another planet depicted in the story (No spoilers), we are fortunate to reside in a world where the climate has remained stable for thousands of years. Lucky us (🧚🕺🤞): The main takeaway from the story is that here on Earth, bad things happen very, very slow compared to aliens (sorry, folks👽).That's a lot of time for us to forget about stable climate, like fish in water forgets the water. Yet, amidst this stability lies a subtle warning: complacency is our greatest enemy.
While the story may seem distant from our reality, its underlying message strikes at the heart of our existence. It reminds us that the stability and tranquility we often take for granted on Earth are not guaranteed.
We must heed the transient nature of our existence (I won't delve into reincarnation here), much like tenants in a rented home who try to make life as comfortable and joyful as possible using its amenities (Full Paisa💸 Vasool). We must care for the property (Earth🌏) and eventually return it to the landlord (God) giving way for next tenant. We often tend to forget that our time on this planet is finite, and we must choose our worries wisely. Let us not squander our precious moments fretting over insignificant trifles, but rather seize each opportunity to embrace life's grand adventure, worth our time.
Time: The Irreplaceable Commodity
Think of time as that precious commodity you can never get back, like when you accidentally delete that hilarious candid video of your younger self from your phone and you don't have a backup. Time is irreplaceable. It's the one resource we can't replenish, and it's slipping away from us every second. How we choose to spend our time defines the quality of our lives.
Health: The Foundation of Well-Being
And health? Well, it's like a forgotten apple (🍎) in your kitchen cabinet —slowly going bad and quickly turning from bad to worse. No amount of money or brainpower can stop it! Our health is the foundation upon which we build our lives. Without good health, our ability to enjoy life is severely compromised. Investing in our health is investing in our future.
Balancing Time and Health
So here's the deal: time and health should be your top priorities, plain and simple. Because let's face it, you don't want to end up on your deathbed thinking, "Man, I wish I'd spent more time doing the things I love and less time worrying about what other people think." Trust me, it's not a fun place to be.
But fear not, my friends! It's never too late to turn things around. Just like that soldier faced his fears head-on amidst the chaos of war, we can confront our own demons and start living life on our own terms.
Imagining the Future
If you truly want to know what you should be doing now, imagine fast-forwarding 20 years into the future. You're chilling in your hoverchair (yep, they're a thing now), wondering how you got there. Well, it's all about making smart choices today. So, instead of stressing about tomorrow's to-do list, focus on what will make future-you proud. Think about how the world might be, where you'll be living, what your health might be like, how the world advances, and what your role or purpose might be. Spoiler alert: Life isn't going to be those late-night binge-watching sessions of reality TV.
And here's the kicker: you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out. Just take a sec to think about where you wanna be in the future, and then start making moves to get there. It's like planning a road trip—except instead of snacks and playlists, you're packing healthy habits and time-saving hacks
Conclusion
So, folks, it's pretty simple: Time and health are the name of the game. Let's make the most of them, one Netflix movie night and apple a day at a time! Now that we've got the sense of priorities, let's dive into how we can make it work in our daily routines. Remember, living life to the fullest means prioritizing what truly matters and letting go of what doesn't. It's a journey worth taking, and it starts with you, here and now.
Please check out my next Blog “Short Term & Long Term Thinking” to achieve the ultimate goal of saving Time & Health.
Navigating Short-Term and Long-Term Goals for a Fulfilling Life
In the blog "Time and Health", we discussed how Time and Health should be our ultimate goals. This concept, though not new, is often taken for granted and neglected. My previous blog laid the foundation for aligning all our life goals with these priorities.
Add ons:
Before you dive into the next section, take a moment to reflect on these questions:
How much time do I dedicate to activities that enhance my physical and mental health?
What are the biggest obstacles preventing me from prioritizing my health?
What small changes can I make to improve my health and well-being in the coming week?
How can I develop a habit of evaluating every decision through both short-term and long-term perspectives?
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Great read! Lots of good advice to take away from things.
Let us all overcome fear and live a healthy life