John Whittier, the 19th century Quaker poet observed in his Maud Muller, “For all sad words of tongue or pen,/ The saddest are these: It might have been.”

Indeed the creative fire that burns, albeit in varying degrees in all humans, is not allowed to manifest in most cases. This results in frustration, self pity, repentance and anger, leading to low self-esteem and regrets for what “could have been” — for not having obtained those acquisitions and virtues which could have led one on.

Adi Sankaracharya in his Bhaja Govindam (Verse 7) notes: “Childhood is spent in play, youth in attachment to women and old age in repentance, with no time left for devotion to the sublime.” In fact, the philosophy of enlightened selfishness, as propounded among others by Ayn Rand, observes that fulfilment can best be found in those pursuits which are aimed primarily at obtaining happiness for oneself.

A deeper insight on this issue would reveal that true peace can also be obtained through activities which are aimed at uplifting society. Indeed a life dedicated to the welfare of others is a truly worthy life! During recapitulation in the evening of one’s life, if one were to feel that he has contributed his mite in this regard, this feeling would by itself serve to erase any regrets that may still linger.

It is in the above spirit that John Wesley wrote, “Do all the good you can,/In all the ways you can,/In all the places you can,/At all times you can,/To all the people you can,/As long as ever you can.” (Rules of Conduct). Valluvar, the great Tamil saint also observes (Kural 36) that one should not postpone virtuous deeds, as these alone would befriend one always, even after death.

Even those who may feel empty within can take heart from these lines of F P Adams’, “And of all words of prose and rhyme,/The gladdest are: Act while there yet is time”. In fact, it is never too late for an aspiring soul. Clarity and effectiveness can be attained through proven methods of cleansing oneself of various afflictions and stresses which retard one’s natural progress.

Arriving at this happy state of affairs, one can make up for the apparent drift or waste of time and also accomplish much in lesser time through effective time management and focus. The vast world of immense goodness and accomplishment indeed waits, inviting to be explored, to translate one’s dreams into reality!