Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Ever notice how some people live like they're always getting ready for their "real life" to start? Like that friend who's always saying "I'll start traveling once I get a better job" or "I'll learn guitar after I retire." Meanwhile, time's just zipping by like a Netflix series on autoplay!

Here's the deal: time is like having a gift card with no balance display - you don't know how much you've got left, which makes every bit of it super precious. Pretty heavy stuff, right? But here's a cool way to think about it: death is like the sun - it affects everything we do, but you don't want to stare directly at it or you'll go nuts!

Think about when you're most excited about stuff:

• That first bite of a new food you love
• The last week at a job you actually liked
• Your kid's last day of elementary school
• That final hangout with friends before moving away

The ancient philosophers weren't being dramatic when they thought about death - they were just trying to live life in "HD" instead of standard definition! They were like, "If you want to really appreciate your Monday, pretend it's your last Monday ever."

It's like when you're at the end of your vacation - suddenly every moment feels more special, right? That's the kind of awareness they were after for everyday life.

And here's the really cool part: what sticks around after we're gone isn't our Instagram posts or fancy job titles - it's the impact we had on others. Think about it like this: your grandma's special  recipe, your dad's cricket annotations , your teacher's life advice - that stuff becomes part of who you are, and then part of who your kids become.

So instead of living like you're always in the waiting room for your real life to sart, live like you're already in the main event. Because, plot twist: you are!

Bottom line? Don't put off telling people you love them, taking that trip, or learning that thing you've always wanted to learn. The time is now, folks!