How many of us make proper use of every moment of our time? We are either busy thinking about the past or worrying about the future. Undoubtedly the past must be thought of, if we are to preserve our heritage and if we are to offer advice to youngsters based on our own experience. But to constantly dwell in the past is not right.
Imagine a man who has come up by dint of hard work. He might not have made much money in his profession. But he has educated his son and the son can buy things which he could not. Now what should his reaction be? Should he not be proud that his son’s standard of living has improved?
Imagine the joy a father’s appreciation will give a son.
The father would be right to caution an extravagant son, but to expect the latter to deny himself the comforts that he can afford is likely to lead to misunderstanding. The father should be happy that God has rewarded his own thrift, which made it possible for him to give his son a good education, which, in turn, has improved the family’s standard of living. He should be grateful to God for blessing his son’s efforts.
Youngsters should plan for the future and not worry about the future all the time. To keep on thinking of various problems, which we might never be called upon to face, is foolish, Suki Sivam said in a lecture.
Even as we worry about the future, we are letting the present slip by. The present soon becomes the past, and we have lost one more day of our lives on this earth, simply worrying and not taking delight in the simple pleasures of life.
Life is a short journey. We must plan for it, but we must not worry too much about whether it will be on the lines of our expectation. Nor should we assume that we can direct other people’s lives for them. We can guide the younger generation. We can use the wisdom we have gathered over the years through our own experiences to advice them, but we cannot expect them to live life according to our dictates.
Affection and love can win people over, but not dictatorial attitude.
