Nida Fazli reminds us:

Benaam sa ye dard tahar kyon nahin jaataa
Jo beet gaya hai wo guzar kyon nahin jaataa?

(Why does this nameless pain not stop? Whatever has been spent, why does it not pass away?)
Halt, wait and think; think twice or as many times as suits your comfort.
Life, Spending or Living: Life Is Half Spent Before We Know What Life Is!
Life is often described as a journey of discovery, and expedition of exploration yet many people move through it without fully understanding its true meaning. The idea that ‘life is half spent before we know what life is’ highlights a painful reality: much of our time is consumed by routine, expectations and struggles before we gain the wisdom to truly live. In the early years, life is often spent rather than lived, as people follow paths laid out by society rather than those guided by self-awareness.
From childhood to early adulthood, individuals are shaped by external influences such as family, education and social norms. During this period, people focus on survival, success and approval. It’s okay with survival and success but what about approval?
Whose approval after all? And for what?
Those seeking approval of others are the same ones who chase grades, careers and material security, believing these will bring fulfillment. In doing so, they often overlook simple joys, meaningful relationships and inner peace. By the time they pause to reflect, a significant portion of life has already passed. Hasnain Aaqib put it in the words as follows:

And God made man
In tribes and clan
It is up to man to be
As good as he can!

True living begins with understanding; understanding oneself, one’s own values and the fleeting nature of time. This realization often comes through experience, loss or failure. And do you know what paradox waits ahead? Yes, you have guessed it right, it is the wisdom. But unfortunately, wisdom arrives slowly, while time moves quickly. Many only learn the importance of balance, gratitude and purpose after years of stress and regret. A Persian couplet goes as follows:

Har cheh danaa kunad, kunad nadaan
Lek baad az kharabi-e-besyaar

(An idiot does the same thing as a wise one does. But the idiot one does it after the damage has been does whereas the wise one mends his ways much before the damage is actually done.)
As a result, life feels ‘spent’ rather than ‘lived,’ marked by obligations instead of meaningful moments.
However, this realization does not mean life is wasted. Awareness, even if it comes late, offers the chance to change. When individuals recognize the difference between merely existing and truly living, they can choose to live more consciously. Valuing relationships over possessions, moments over achievements and peace over pressure allows life to be lived more usefully, regardless of age.There are moments when one becomes cynic and pessimist. But there is no point in forgetting that cynicism leads to melancholy and melancholy leads to extreme of nothingness. With each move, life poses a challenge and at one point of time, life itself becomes a challenge. But challenges are not to be escaped, they are to be faced.
To be faced with brevity and dignity.
Once I wrote a couplet in Urdu:

Zindagi mere liye jaise izafee unglee
Zindagi tere liye jaise mahajan ko sood.

(For me, life is as useless and unimportant as the sixth finger is the hand. But for you, the same life is as dear and wanted as the interest is to the money-lender.)
But after realizing that life is a gift, the poet modified his idea and said:

Aur thoda sa bikhar jaoon, yahi thanee hain
Zindagi! Maine abhi haar kahan maani hai.

(O life, I have made up my mind to be dissected further as I have still not submitted to your irrational demands.)
So let me ultimately convey to all those who enjoy their freedom to look at life from their own perspective:
Live life, don’t spend it.
Life is to be lived king-size, looking into the eyes of adversities and challenges.
Let us be brave enough.
Let us kill pessimism. Let us welcome optimism and hope.
While much of life may pass before understanding dawns, it is never too late to begin living intentionally. The true essence of life lies not in how long it lasts, but in how deeply it is lived.

Email:------------------------hasnainaaqib2@gmail.com