The Sketchbook of Wisdom: A Hand-Crafted Manual on the Pursuit of Wealth and Good Life
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Well, if you were to believe the Roman philosopher Seneca, life is not short but long if we know how to use it –
It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested. But when it is wasted in heedless luxury and spent on no good activity, we are forced at last by death’s final constraint to realize that it has passed away before we knew it was passing. So it is: we are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it… Life is long if you know how to use it.
But since we often fail to use our limited time on this planet well, life indeed turns out to be short, or so it seems.
I was reminded of this stark reality recently when I read this tweet –
A friend said something crazy to me the other day:
“You have 18 summers to enjoy with your kids. That’s it.”
By the time your kids turn 18, you have spent 70%+ of the total time you will spend with them. After that, it’s a wild card (they are busy, you are old).
— Andrew Wilkinson (@awilkinson)
I can’t imagine a more important reminder to stop thinking about work and focus on kids.
Anyways, the idea of life being short did not leave my mind (it never does!) and I decided to illustrate it to include almost all my thoughts on what we could do to use life well so that, as Seneca suggests, we don’t waste our precious time chasing stuff that really makes it feel short.
Here is that illustration, and I have spent quite some time from my short life to create it. Just zoom in to read my ideas on how we can use our life better, to do things and make experiences that really matter.
(Download HD version of the illustration from here.)
Most of what happens to us in life is anyways beyond our control, and we must learn to let it go.
But I firmly believe in what Mark Twain said –
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Now is the time, my dear friend, to explore, dream, discover. Because life, as we live it, is really short.
Wonderfull,
Regards from Israel
Wow!
Vishal, I always liked the way you write.
But this one – SUPER!
Shivaswamy
Your illustration is Marvellous…. ummmm simply great. Thanks u.
Hi Vishal, this is gem of an article. Loved it! will print it and pin it to my wall.
I like your articles and the way you write.
Have you done any courses in writing and which website template is this? I love the simplicity of this page.
Thanks,
Surendran
I have bookmarked it.
I am blessed with a baby girl and god willingly will surely spend summers with her.
Thanks for bringing this to us.
Awesome 🙂
I’m a new subscriber and I’m blown away by how much each and every idea you have written resonates with me. Keep inspiring!
Apt reminder to us all!
Very true! Time flies for those who waste it, utilize life to the best is the best one!!
Love your illustration. I will make it my wallpaper to keep me reminding. Thank you 🙂
More insightful than a 500 page book. 🙂
One image does it all.
This is so valuable. Thank you. Is there a high res of the illustration pls? I’d love to put on my wall as big as possible.
Simply Superb Vishal. Well articulated in a thoughtful manner. If we practice at least some of the them we can become better human beings. Thanks for sharing.
Just changed my wallpaper to this image, the message is so important
Sir, it’s really a very wonderful Illustration – LIFE’S SHORT…
Wow this was one of your best post! thank you Vishal…
Loved the illustration.. It’s awesome Vishal.
Thanks a lot
Good thoughts and views . Time spent with kids is never wasted and they value it much more than any material gift that you can give them.
God has given us enough time to enjoy all aspects and phases of life .
World would be more peaceful if we lived this way
Brilliant!
This should be required reading for everyone 😊
Simply excellent post as usual .
Enjoyed a lot 👍
Also learned a lot .
Mr Vishal please engage us learning .
Thanks a lot .
Sunil Gupta
Visakhapatnam
🌊
This is lit….
This one is outstanding.
Hi Vishal – what a lovely illustration. I am sure it was a labour of love for you in making it. Thank you. I have been a avid reader of your mailers and have benefitted by it.
I am sharing this on facebook. Hope it is ok.
Wonderful thoughts Vishal…Thank you!
Wowwww… Sir you writings and thoughts are so pure and it really helps me the way I look at life. Thank you..Keep writing lots of blessing to you and your loved ones.
Beautifully put!
Hello Sir,
After a long time, I have again read this and I felt so rejuvenated.
And That Picture you made it – really mesmerized me.
I am really feeling so happy.
Thank you.
You always keep inspiring me. Thanks a ton for sharing your thoughts.
Very good write, the Specially the hand made art
Vishal, you and your writings are really great. What a maturity at this age. Quote from Mark Twain is very real because I always keep thinking that I should have done different things 20years back.
Anyway life is like that.
Beautiful, Vishal, well done!
Regards,
Uday.
Excellent
This post touched my heart, loved it❤️❤️
This is outstanding stuff. Your thoughts are simple, thoughtful,relevant and stands out to be realistic
Excellent !!!
Beautiful! Just Beautiful!
Excellent Vishal…
Your blogs… articles are so informative ….I just wait for when Vishal will publish his next one….
Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts… Thoughts of great people with everyone…
only one is missing,ENJOY MUSIC OF BIRDS,RIVERS,LAUGHING BABIES,CRYING BABIES,ENJOY SILENCE AS WELL.THANKS VISHAL FOR ONCE AGAIN REMINDING US OF OUR SHORT JOURNEY OF LIFE.
Dear Vishal
To say this is a gem would be an understatement. Your blogs are like wine, getting better by the day. Cheers and God bless.
Thanks for sharing this wisdom sir.
Good article Vishal. I always love and enjoy reading Sadhguru. I equally enjoy reading your’s. I always found a similarity in Sadhguru’s articles and your’s.
Best one sir. Also looking forward to apply ‘Life’s short’ ideology in my life. Thank you !😊
This is amazing. I’ve taken long breaks before but I feel like God desires me to trust him more and toil less. This testimony encouraged me so much. Thank you for sharing!
nice post thanks for sharing.
Goethe put it best:
Life is short, but the day is long.
And “on this planet”? This planet pretty much sucks, which is why God will destroy it in the end anyway.
May be this is the best article I have ever read. THANK YOU. I have read the list many times and getting new perspectives. Understanding few lines even better after reading “The Sketchbook of Wisdom”. Trying to apply these principles in life. Will surely teach my kids; this will probably be the best lesson I will ever teach them.