No More Wasted Days: Living with Purpose
Category Motivation
There are times when words find you. They stop you in your tracks, seep into your bones and demand that you pay attention. This month, I found myself arrested by a poem by the Brazilian writer, Mário Raul de Morais Andrade. In his reflection, he speaks of realising that he has less time ahead than he has already lived - and with this awareness, he makes a profound shift - he no longer wastes time on the trivial, the fickle or the insubstantial. His soul is in a hurry.
I counted my years and found that I have less time to live from here on than I have lived up to now.
I feel like that child who won a packet of sweets: he ate the first with pleasure, but when he realised that there were few left, he began to enjoy them intensely.
I no longer have time for endless meetings where statutes, rules, procedures and internal regulations are discussed, knowing that nothing will be achieved.
I no longer have time to support the absurd people who, despite their chronological age, haven't grown up.
My time is too short:
I want the essence,
my soul is in a hurry.
I don't have many sweets
in the package anymore.
I want to live next to human people,
very human,
who know how to laugh at their mistakes,
and who are not inflated by their triumphs,
and who take on their responsibilities.
Thus human dignity is defended and we move towards truth and honesty.
It is the essential that makes life worth living.
I want to surround myself with people who know how to touch hearts, people who have been taught by the hard blows of life to grow with gentle touches of the soul.
Yes, I'm in a hurry, I'm in a hurry to live with the intensity that only maturity can give.
I don't intend to waste any of the leftover sweets.
I am sure they will be delicious, much more than what I have eaten so far.
My goal is to reach the end satisfied
and at peace with my loved ones
and my conscience.
We have two lives.
And the second begins when you realise you only have one.
~ Mário Raul de Morais Andrade (Oct 9, 1893 - Feb 25, 1945)
How many of us are living like this? How many of us understand that time is not infinite? That we are not guaranteed another day, let alone another year? And yet, how often do we live as if there will always be another tomorrow, another chance to get things right, another opportunity to do what we know we should be doing today? We talk about our dreams, our plans, our ambitions - but when it comes to action, we hesitate, we delay, we make excuses.
Perhaps it's time to stop talking and start doing.
The Illusion of 'Later'
There's a diamond of truth in this quip - "Tomorrow must be the longest day of the week - judging from the number of things we will do then!" The greatest lie we tell ourselves is that there's always time. We think we'll get around to it - later. Later, we'll make that phone call. Later, we'll start that business. Later, we'll write that book, mend that relationship, prioritise our health or finally take the risks we've been avoiding. But what if later never comes?
Maturity is not just about growing older; it's about taking responsibility for our lives, our choices and our time. It's about shedding the illusion that life will always make space for our intentions and recognising that life only rewards action.
Andrade's words remind us that when we understand the value of time, we begin to savour it differently. We stop wasting it on endless, fruitless debates. We stop indulging those who refuse to grow. We stop spending time in spaces that drain us of joy, meaning and purpose.
Instead, we learn to crave the essential.
The Weight of the Essential
What is essential in your life? What are the things that truly matter, the relationships that nourish you, the work that excites you, the moments that make you feel most alive? How much of your time is spent on those things?
As I reflect on this, I find myself drawn to Andrade's call for authenticity. He seeks people who take responsibility, who laugh at their mistakes, who remain grounded in humility, who know how to touch hearts. And isn't that what we all need? To surround ourselves with those who lift us, challenge us, encourage us to be better versions of ourselves?
Because here's the truth: We become the sum of the people we allow into our lives. If we surround ourselves with complainers, we become cynical. If we surround ourselves with procrastinators, we begin to delay. But if we walk with people who push us to act, who challenge us to think deeply, to live boldly, to be brave - we begin to do the same.
The Challenge of Now
Many people go through life waiting for a sign that it's time to start living. But what if this is your sign? What if today is the day you stop saying 'one day' and instead say 'day one'?
Andrade's final words leave us with an undeniable truth: We have two lives. And the second begins when you realise you only have one.
So here's my challenge to you - and to myself:
- Stop waiting for permission to live the life you want.
- Take ownership of your actions, your choices and your direction.
- Do the hard things, the necessary things, the things that stretch and grow you.
- Be a doer, not just a dreamer.
And most of all, seize the day!
Because time is not infinite. And our souls should be in a hurry.
Please follow our social media platforms to get regular business tips, in my video cast: Living & Investing with Jonathan Broekman, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
Warm regards,
Jonathan Broekman
CEO / Principal of Homes of Distinction
Author: Jonathan Broekman
