A day has 24 hours or 1,440 minutes; the number of hours and minutes in a day is a fixed and unchanging truth, but our feelings toward it change. Time is not merely minutes counted by the clock, but rather the essence of human life that shapes our understanding of existence, death, and the purpose of life. People's definitions of time vary according to the philosophical angle from which they view it and their feelings about it. Time is slow when we wait, time is fast when we fear, time is long when we grieve, time is short when we rejoice, time is endless when we suffer, time stops in beautiful moments, time is deadly when we feel emptiness, time is lost in the hustle of the streets, time is boring when visited by an unwanted person. In human life, time is not just a physical tool for measurement; it is the vessel of human experience. The Arabs said long ago: “Time is like a sword; if you do not cut it, it will cut you.” This simile, it seems to me, expresses the importance and value of time in human life.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned that free time can be a blessing or a curse, and that most people are heedless of the benefits and wasted potential in free time. He said: “Two blessings which many people squander: health and free time.” It is time. Time management is not only for achieving practical goals but also for achieving balance in the details of human life. Time is a precious resource, and we must realize its value and use it wisely. By improving our ability to manage time, we can enhance our quality of life and achieve success in all areas of life. Time passes whether we want it to or not, and part of the ethics of dealing with time is to be polite to ourselves in how we view it. (Contentment provides its owner with enough time to enjoy life.) — Plato. We wait and wait, and we live chasing the hands of the clock, moving in its single direction, and so life passes. Our lives pass while we wait, and the future is in God's hands; we do not know what the days hide for us. We wait for it to come, and when it comes, we know our feelings toward it.

Some people bet on time in their lives, and this is a double-edged sword. Some bet on it by planning, waiting for the results of their various investments, while others bet on it by procrastinating, relying on tomorrow, which may waste their lives in vain. There are so many who wait. One of the hardest times is when a person waits for nothing, because it consumes their energy without result. This waiting turns from a temporary stop into a state of stagnation and psychological loss, which is what some retirees feel. (The agony of waiting? And what about the agony of not waiting for anything?) — Ahlam Mosteghanemi. We are accustomed to waiting: waiting for what will come and what may not come, and waiting for the unknown. This is part of our lives, whether we like it or not. Blessed is the one who does not wait for anything, erases expectations from the dictionary of their life, and lives free from the chains of waiting.

Whisper

Disappointment: I waited a long time and what I waited for did not come true.