I had heard a very beautiful saying in my childhood, in my local language that implied – We have added years to life but have we added life to those years?

People come and go. Empires are created and destroyed. Names are written in history and then wiped out. And still, the world continues. What do we make of this short span of life?

If our life had to be summarized in one sentence – what would it be? What do we want to be the definition of our life?

Here are some thoughts.

1. Entry and Exit

Some people come into this world and leave this world.

When they appear, there is no big celebration.
When they leave, there is no deep lamentation.

Such people do not have much ambition in life. They simply come and go.

Like an actor in a drama who appears for a few seconds and then disappears.

I would hear this short story in my childhood: 
Once there was a king and a queen, both died, and thus ends the story.

Is this the definition of life? Or is there something more?

2. Entry, Exist, and Exit

There is a second category of people.

They do something just to carve out their living. Their goal is to exist and survive.

They work, spend time with friends, and live a happy-go-lucky life. There is no deeper ambition — neither material nor spiritual.

Their names may exist in a phone directory or in their company’s payroll — and that’s it.

They feel they have got a human birth, and they are using it — but often, they end up wasting it.

3. Entry, Excel, and Exit

Then there are people who come with ambition.

They want to do something in life. They want to excel. They want to become CEOs, build businesses, earn wealth, gain recognition. They want appreciation, applause, and accolades.

And many times, they achieve it. But still, many of them remain unhappy.

Why?
Because desires do not end.

The desire for profit, adoration, and distinction never gets satisfied. Even after achieving so much, there is emptiness. Rich may not necessarily become wealthy.  

Yet there are a few rare people even in this category — who remain humble, dignified, and grateful to God.

Like Arthur Ashe.

He was a Wimbledon champion. Later, he contracted HIV from a contaminated blood transfusion during heart bypass surgery and was diagnosed with AIDS. A reporter asked him, “Why did God choose you for such a disease?”

He replied —
Out of thousands who play tennis, a few reach Wimbledon. A few reach the finals. One wins.

When I won, I never asked God, “Why me?”
So now, why should I ask?

This is gratitude.

4. Entry, Emulate, and Exit

Then there are people of character. They are righteous. They are moral. They want to live with dignity and purpose. They have ideal role models, and they sincerely try to follow them. They do not compromise on their principles.

Whether they excel materially or not is secondary. They excel in one thing for sure — devotion to God.

Their life is glorious. Their exit also is glorious. Their names may not be in history books. No scripture may describe them. No one may write about them. 

But still, they beautify the earth. Wherever they go, they uplift others. They live with gratitude. They leave with grace.

5. Entry, Emulate, Exemplify, Empower… and No Exit

And then, there is a rare category.

Such people come into this world. Their entry may not be very grand. But their purpose is very glorious.

They not only emulate spiritual principles, but they exemplify them. And beyond that, they empower others. The “greatest way to use power is to empower”. They transform lives. They dedicate everything – their time, energy, words, and existence for a higher purpose.

They follow the previous saints. They live their teachings. They become like a touchstone : whoever comes in contact with them gets transformed.

For such people, there is no exit. Physically, they may leave. But they never exit.

They remain in the hearts of people.
They remain in their teachings.
They remain in the legacy they create.

Personalities like Prahlada Maharaja, Narada Muni, Parikshit Maharaj, and A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada walked on this same planet. And yet, they have never left. Even today, they continue to guide, inspire, and uplift.

They do not just give a ray of hope, rather they give a shower of hope.

Where Do We Stand?

Which category do we want to belong to? We may not immediately reach the highest one.

But we can choose whom to follow.

And if we follow the personalities mentioned in the fifth category, then even our exit will not be an end.

It will be an entry. An entry into a higher reality : where we do not just exist, but we excel and experience everlasting ecstasy!