Slow down – the world isn’t going anywhere.

Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever, goes the famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi.
Many of us, even those who haven’t heard these words, live as if we are to die in the next hour. For those in an extreme hurry in their lives, here is a piece of wisdom from the book “Life of a Sunset Kid”.
A 14-year-old boy, Shyam, battling a neurodegenerative disease and facing imminent death in a few months, enters a discussion with his mentor, The Master.
Shyam appears dejected as he speaks, ‘I can’t move fast enough to keep pace with my friends. It is frustrating. My little brother would pinch me and run around, expecting me to chase him. I began to chase him in the wheelchair, and after a few seconds, I saw the excitement in his eyes fading. I cursed myself at that moment for not being able to run around with him the way a brother should.”
In his calm demeanour and gentle, placid voice, the Master replied, “Sometimes it is better to go slow. When we are rushing, we often fail to notice several things. We are so determined and single-minded to reach the destination we lose sight of everything else in our way. I prefer a gentle saunter to a hurried walk because I am sure I will reach the destination no matter what, and whatever is waiting for me
will be there for me if it is destined for me. The gentle stride allows me to pay attention to every minute detail, every minor thing along the path. There is a thing of joy in doing or paying attention to little, teeny-tiny things. These are what I call pockets of happiness.”

Cherish every moment, savour every beautiful thing that is before you, People, things, nature. You will never see, feel, or be in those moments again. These are ephemeral pockets of happiness. It is right in front of you.
A beautiful sunset, a lovely smile of an unknown person in the street, a pleasant wind caressing everyone, a tiny flower in between the pavement and road. The Jacaranda in blossom in the image above. Cherish them all.
Live in the moment. We often forget one simple rule of life: life is to be lived.
Do not rush. We are rushing only to our end. Time is finite; let’s dilate it as much as possible by recognising and being in these “pockets of happiness”.

My books

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23711133.Udayakumar_D_S_