Time is the one resource we can never get back. Its relentless tick, tick…. reminds us that every moment is precious, yet we often waste it worrying about the future or regretting the past.

Whenever I feel stressed about some outcomes, I return to Robert H. Smith’s timeless poem, which reminds me to cherish the present, live with purpose, and prioritize what truly matters. It helps me pause and reflect on the fleeting nature of time and the choices I make every day.

The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.

To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed,
To lose one’s health is more,
To lose one’s soul is such a loss
That no man can restore.

The present only is our own,
So live, love, toil with a will,
Place no faith in “Tomorrow,”
For the Clock may then be still.

― Robert H. Smith