Light Fom Many Lamps: The Most Precious Of Possessions

You wake up in the morning, and lo! your purse is magically filled with twenty-four hours – the most precious of possessions. (Arnold Bennett)

Where did you find the time? (Watson, 1951). This was a question frequently asked from Arnold and a question frequently asked by most of the people to any and every successful person or a leader. This story explained the importance of time and the art of utilizing it to its utmost potential. Bennett was a poverty-stricken clerk wanting to become a writer. He had nothing but time and he realized that time was his most precious commodity, time the most useful tissue of his life and that he must therefore not waste any part of it. (Watson, 1951). With hard work and spectacular time management, he became a great writer.

He was constantly asked the question about how he finds time to write and pursue all his hobbies? He answered that he did not ‘find’ time, he has the same amount of time as everybody else; exactly the same twenty-four hours. Its the way he spent it made the difference (Watson, 1951). This also led him to write his one of the most famous book called, ‘How to Live on Twenty Four Hours a Day’. This book helped so many people and answered their questions about time management and making the most out of it. This story is very relatable to me as being someone whose biggest fear is to waste time, I’ve spent a fair amount of my life trying to figure out ways to make the most of every day, every hour of my life. This is also because punctuality has been a priority not just for me but for my family, my mother always enchanted these words to me that, ‘those who do not respect time, time does not respect them’. Planning for the next day before going to bed, writing down your intentions clearly, making a to-do list for the day became a ritual in my life at a very young age. When I moved from India to Canada just a month and a half ago, I called my parents and told them that I feel like time moves faster here or it just seems like I have lesser time but every day I think I’m getting better at accomplishing my everyday goals and ticking off the things from my checklist and I know no one can master time but I’m constantly trying to get as close to it as possible. Also, Bennett said, “Time is the inexplicable raw material of everything. With it, all is possible; without it, nothing” (Watson, 1951).

When asked what is the biggest mistake you have made in your life, Buddha replied, “The biggest mistake is that we think we have time”. Jay Shetty’s video on the importance of time shared an analogy that if $86,400 were added to your bank account every day and by the end of 24 hours the remaining sum will disappear but another $86,400 will be added next day. Will you waste all the money? Then why do we waste time so easily? We tend to forget that time is more expensive than money. (Retrieved from- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPaS85IA6oY). As Arnold Bennett said, “You have to live on this twenty-four hours of daily time. Out of it, you have to spin health, pleasure, money, content, respect and the evolution of your immortal soul. Its right use, its most effective use, is a matter of highest urgency and most thrilling actuality” (Watson, 1951). I cannot agree more with this.

You wake up every morning, and lo! your purse is magically filled with twenty four hours of the unmanufactured tissue of the universe of your life! It is yours. It is most precious of possessions. No one can take it away from you. It is unstealable. And no one recieves either more or less than you recieve. (Watson,1951)

Watson, L.E. (1988). Light from Many Lamps, (1st Fireside Edition). New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, Inc

Shetty, J.(2018) Before You Waste Time. [Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPaS85IA6oY]