I’m sitting in my office, in a cabin, where I’ve been brainstorming and scribbling on the whiteboard with different colors all day! As I wait for my colleague to return from her lunch break, all I can hear is silence. Yes, it has a sound. I’m sure deep within, y’all know what I mean. I have a buzzing head, more than one thought troubling me, tugging at my heart, making me angry and exasperated at the same time.

I feel like I’m in a vacuum.

Why?

There’s no one in the room. My internet is shut. It’s just me. For a moment, I can’t bear the thought of being disconnected, so I quickly turn on my internet and check my messages. There are many. But I don’t feel like responding just yet, so I choose my own company. Then, I open my WordPress and begin typing. 

I hadn’t structured what I’m going to write about. To be honest with you, I’m just enjoying the sound of keys being pressed on the keyboard. Just the sense of something happening in the room makes me happy. I’m smiling, right now. Oh but wait, NOW I have a thought!

Have you ever felt that things aren’t moving? It could be either stagnation or them not moving in the direction you want them to move in.

Hey! I saw you nod. 

You must have come across these statements, as I have, and I’m sure we not only resonate with them but we often find ourselves giving voice to these words.

‘Everything has come to a halt.’

‘Nothing seems to be working out.’

‘Life seems stagnated.’

‘I don’t enjoy doing anything.’

‘I don’t know what’s bothering me.’

It’s not uncommon. Come to think about it, do we even get the time to stay with our thoughts for more than two minutes in a day? Can you articulate exactly how you feel at a given moment? Are you so engrossed in your day’s jobs that you don’t realize where the time went by? Happens to me too, funny isn’t it?

Let’s try to understand this. Each one of us has 24 hours to ourselves, everyday. But how many of those hours are we living on our own terms? Are we spending hours waiting for someone’s Whats App message that hasn’t come in months? Are we overthinking about a call we should have made weeks ago? Are we holding back from having a conversation we should be having but instead digging a hole in our own heart? Are we sleeping on our future plans just because there’s too much prework to do? Are we simply investing in everything around us without prioritizing because well, prioritizing is a painful process?!

Honestly, even I found myself not living my 24 hours my way, sometime ago. And I wasted a lot of time accepting the same. But now that I have (trust me it’s haaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrddddd to accept), I make sure every moment of my day counts! Because who knows, what’s in store and I’m game for being happy! We live in an interconnected world which takes a toll on us every single day. Amidst all this, if the way we choose to spend our time is also not governed by us, then my dear readers, the remote control of your life is being operated by someone/something other than you! 

Do not let that happen. Take charge of your life and your time. It is YOURS.

Dr. Daisaku Ikeda says, “Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. However, if you use those hours wisely, you can accomplish a week’s worth of effort in a day, or 10 years’ worth of effort in a year. I have lived my life with that spirit.”

Trying to live these words transformed my life, I hope it transforms yours too! I’m still trying to live them. I do go off track, but I find my way back!

My colleague is back! Got to go!

P.S. I didn’t know my break time would become my blog post. I like getting surprised by myself!

P.P.S Make it count!

Author(s)

  • Prachi is currently studying Development Studies at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, United Kingdom. She loves reading and writing, while creating value. Her primary motivation for writing is sharing her own experiences with people.