A japanese friend on twitter just shared this with me, which I found very meaningful :

盛年不重来，
一日难再晨。
及时当勉励，
岁月不待人。

Here’s my interpretation of the meaning of this poem :

盛年不重来 : Prime years do not return

During our prime years, we have a natural abundance of energy.  We could sleep late or pull an all-nighter, eat junk food and yet the following day, we’re still filled with exuberance and have a seemingly tireless physical body.  Wonderful, isn’t it?

However, this period, once passed, will never come back again.  As we age, the physical body deteriorates (one of the cruelest facts about being human). So, in your prime years, you have to make hay while the sun shines!

That is not to say that the story ends once you’ve passed your prime – in most cases, people become wiser and more mature.  Of course, this will depend on your past decisions and actions.  Our life at the present is always the summation of all our thoughts and actions – Everything counts.

If you govern your mind and take care of your body well, you will find that as you mature, you gain wisdom and this will make yesterday’s problems look like child’s play.

一日难再晨 : Each day comes with only one morning

Everyday, the morning only occurs once – this is the most important time of the day and we must start the day right.  If you’re a keen reader of personal development material, you will know that many other success literature emphasizes on starting the day with a mini-victory, because it sets the momentum for the rest of the day.

The achievement of a mini-victory at the start of the day makes you feel good about yourself – it raises your self-esteem.  It makes you feel unstoppable and spurs you to finish the day strong as well.

On a personal note, it is a good habit to force yourself to sleep early and get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.  To perform your best, you need to be at your best – and it is your responsibility to ensure that you are well-rested the night before.  If you stay up late, you’re merely borrowing future time, which might potentially sabotage your tomorrow and that simply keeps you trapped in the vicious cycle.

及时当勉励 : Encourage and motivate at the right moments

Throughout the day, there will be moments of disappointments and frustrations.  It is in these times that we must continue to motivate and encourage ourselves to keep moving forward. Small victories like these lead to our eventual success.

You have to remember that motivation is like a fuel – it needs to be replenished.  You know that you need to eat when you’re hungry; in the same way, you need to encourage and motivate yourself when you’re feeling down.  Be nice to yourself and don’t allow yourself to wallow in self-pity because all that does is to keep you spiraling downwards.

Recognize that more often than not things will not go the way we want them to.  The important thing to know is that such events are there to mold us – braving such adversities builds our dignity and strengthens our character.  It is this process that makes you the person you truly want to become.

岁月不待人 : Time waits for no one

Unfortunately, the hands of the clock will not turn back even if you were to realize your mistakes and repent later on in life.  As the saying goes, time and tide waits for no man.  Any time that is not spent well is gone forever, most of the time leaving one with a heavy heart filled with regrets.

“We suffer one of two things. Either the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. You’ve got to choose discipline, versus regret, because discipline weighs ounces and regret weighs tons.“  – Jim Rohn