Time is precious. The work accomplished in time is even more precious.
Tasks done after the right time, however skillfully completed, do not yield the true result.
Joy and sorrow both alternate in life, coming and going in cycles.
Just as handkerchiefs slip away without our notice, so too must we learn to let our worries slip away without clinging to them.
Likewise, the joys we attain must be cherished and kept close to our hearts, as one would tuck a pen near the chest pocket.
Often, our inability to complete tasks on time is not due to lack of effort, but because we refuse to adapt to circumstances.
The coconut tree draws water from its roots and transforms it into sweet tender water at its crown, offering it to us.
In the same way, true virtue lies in using the resources available to us not only to grow ourselves but also to bring sweetness into the lives of others.
Take a field, for example: the useful crop is only the paddy stalk. Yet the water that nourishes the paddy also sustains the weeds around it.
So too, those who live around good people naturally benefit from their goodness.
The petals of the screw pine flower are larger than those of the jasmine, but it is the jasmine that gives fragrance.
The ocean may be vast and full, but its water is not drinkable. Yet the small sandy pit nearby yields fresh water fit to drink.
Judging a person by appearance is never wise.
A stopwatch can be started and stopped at will.
But the clock of life, once set in motion, cannot be turned back, nor paused at our convenience.
We do not know when Time, that power beyond us, will stop its course. Yet we do have the ability to make its journey lighter. How, you ask?
The magical key lies nowhere else but within our own mind, under our control.
Some discover it quickly, some take longer, and some complete their journey without ever finding it.
What does this key unlock?
It opens the door of contentment deep within us, letting in the light of clarity.
It trains us to regulate how we respond to sorrow or joy, teaching us not to be overwhelmed by grief nor lost in indulgence.
When we let sorrow dominate our emotions, we lose the taste of joy.
The moments of happiness we receive, we often dismiss as mere duty fulfilled, instead of savoring them.
Have I found where that key lies within me? No—that is the truth.
I too am searching for it, along with you. And when I share this search aloud with you, it becomes a little sweeter.
We often mistake bending as weakness and standing firm as strength. Yet is it not true that a bent bow sends the arrow farther than a rigid one?
An open nest will attract many birds. Some will peck and leave, while others will build beautiful homes and live.
Can we lock the nest just because some birds may peck, thereby losing the joy of seeing those that build and thrive?
Similarly, can we lock our hearts just because some may wound them?
My beloved younger generation!
Keep the doors of your hearts open. Embrace the useful changes, and transform yourselves into powerful individuals who can change the direction of the nation.
Life flows like a river.
In its course, stones, sand, flowers, and even impurities may mix. Yet the river’s flow does not stop.
So too, in our lives, obstacles, challenges, joys, and sorrows all mingle.
The strength to endure and move forward is what elevates a human being.
We cannot stop the flow, but we can learn to guide it gracefully.
No matter how much knowledge or wealth one possesses, if the mind lacks peace, neither knowledge nor wealth will be of use.
Peace of mind is a simple key, but attaining it is a difficult journey.
To reach it, we must restrain our desires, adjust our expectations, and clarify our thoughts.
Without peace of mind, happiness cannot endure.
In life’s journey, every person we meet teaches us a lesson.
Some give us joy, some give us sorrow—but both give us experience.
That experience itself becomes our guide.
We must remember with gratitude those who give us joy, and forgive and forget those who give us sorrow.
The ability to balance both is true wisdom in life.
Dear youth,
Keep the doors of your mind open. Welcome new ideas, new experiences, and new opportunities the world offers.
At the same time, hold firmly to your core values, virtues, and humanity.
When openness to change combines with strength to preserve fundamentals, you will become the powerful force that can change the nation’s course.
You can do it.
With love,
Sakthi Sakthithasan
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