More Life to Your Years

In the race of life, we often run faster and harder, trying to outdo others—seeking more wealth, more power, more recognition. Some even measure success by who lives the longest, as though longevity itself were proof of a meaningful existence.

But is the length of life really the yardstick of success? At funerals, people sometimes speak of a person’s greatness simply because they lived many years. Yet no mention is made of whether those years were filled with laughter, whether their presence brought joy to others, or whether they left the world brighter than they found it.

Longevity may be a measure of age for relics—the older, the more valuable. But human life is different. To judge it only by its duration is to miss its essence. Life is not about how long it is, but how alive it is.

I’m reminded of a line from the classic Hindi film Anand:
“Babu Moshai, zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahin.”
My dear friend, life should be great, not long.

If you truly wish to live a long life, then fill it with vitality, love, kindness, laughter, and moments that matter. Years will pass regardless, but what makes them meaningful is the life you breathe into them.

So, don’t just add years to your life. Add life to your years.

Would you like me to make this more philosophical and poetic, almost like a spoken word piece, or keep it in this reflective essay style?