If Not Now…When?

If Not Now, When?
Do You Really Think Tomorrow Will Wait for You? | Happy Essay Series

Welcome to The Path to Happiness.

Today, I’ve prepared another story in this series.

I hope that through today’s essay, we can grow together.

So let’s begin.

“You may delay, but time will not wait.”

— Benjamin Franklin

Throughout our lives, we make countless plans.

But how many of those plans have I truly completed?

Some were small and trivial, while others were life-changing.

One day, I opened my old middle school diary.

Most of its pages were filled with this single thought:

“Why am I like this?

Why do I hate studying so much?

Starting tomorrow, I will really study hard.”

Reading it, I couldn’t help but laugh.

I realized then…

I was always the student who pushed everything off until tomorrow.

Why was it that the moment I sat at my desk, sleep came rushing in?

Why did holding a pen suddenly make me hungry?

And why did I waste all my time tidying my desk, only to fall asleep as soon as I opened a book?

One day, I saw a scene on TV:

A mother walked in with snacks for her child, only to find the child fast asleep at the desk.

She looked on with pity, set the snack down quietly, and left.

I envied that scene so much.

So one day, when I heard my mom approaching, I quickly pretended to be asleep at my desk.

But instead of pity, I heard her sigh and say:

“Ha! Of course. You? Study?”

Opps~ I had forgotten.

Even my mom already knew I wasn’t the studying type.

And maybe kids like me are all the same.

We line up early to get into the library, but once we find a seat, we nap with books open.

Every new semester, we swear to study harder, buy fresh notebooks, cover our textbooks neatly, and even prepare colorful pens.

But that’s usually as far as it goes.

Isn’t that why the saying “resolutions last only three days” exists?

I knew how important studying was.

I wanted good grades, to go to a good university, to live a better life.

But no matter the reasons, I just didn’t want to study.

So I always told myself:

“Just play today, start tomorrow.”

“After the break, I’ll start for real.”

“When the new year comes, I’ll finally begin.”

And so, the years passed.

I was no longer a student, but I found myself making new goals…

and still postponing them until tomorrow.

Right now, my biggest goal is to master English.

It might be the one goal that has followed me since my school days.

But why am I still not fluent?

Because excuses never end.

“I’m too busy today, I’ll start tomorrow.”

“This year is too hectic, I’ll start next year.”

Will I really ever master English like this?

When I used to delay studying, why should today be any different?

It’s the same with exercise.

Every New Year, I promise myself:

“This year, I’ll finally work out!”

I buy sneakers, I buy workout clothes…

But stepping out the door remains the hardest part.

That’s how it is:

Studying, exercising, and so many of life’s goals—

we postpone them, not to today, but to tomorrow.

But will tomorrow always wait for us?

If I keep relying on “tomorrow,”

then one day… tomorrow may no longer wait for me.

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Thank you for walking with me again on the path to happiness.

Some of you move steadily toward your goals every day,

while others…like me…delay and regret.

I hope today’s essay gives you the courage and motivation

to finally take action.

Today’s essay began with Franklin’s words:

“You may delay, but time will not wait.”

Now, let’s take a moment to learn about the man who spoke them.

Do you know who appears on the US $100 bill?

It is none other than Benjamin Franklin.

But how did Franklin become the face of the hundred-dollar note?

Let’s find out.

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston in 1706,

the 15th of 17 children in a poor family.

He only received formal education until the age of ten,

then became an apprentice in a print shop.

Yet he never stopped learning.

He read books, copied texts, and taught himself through constant effort.

Through this, he realized that wasting time meant losing opportunities.

Eventually, he became a publisher and released Poor Richard’s Almanack,

a book that spread the values of diligence, frugality, and time management.

It became widely read across America.

Franklin was also a scientist and inventor.

He proved that lightning was electricity through his kite experiment,

invented the lightning rod to protect people,

and designed the Franklin stove to warm homes.

As a politician and diplomat, he played a crucial role in the American Revolution.

He secured France’s support for independence, which was vital to America’s victory.

Though his schooling was short,

his wisdom, self-education, and respect for time

helped him grow into an inventor, politician, and philosopher.

That is why today, his face appears on the $100 bill.

Benjamin Franklin.

It feels as if he is still telling us today:

“Time will not wait for you.

If you want to do something, start now.”

Just as Franklin’s words remind us:

We may delay, but time will never wait for us.

Through today’s essay, may we hold on to the question:

“If not now, when?”

and take one more step forward on the path to happiness.

Franklin left us countless wise sayings.

To close, let me share a few that are closest to our lives:

🌿 Benjamin Franklin’s Quotes

• Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
  
  
• Time is money.
  
  
• Laziness is the mother of all bad habits.
  
  
• Lost time is never found again.
  
  
• An idle youth makes a needy age.
  
  
• Temperance is the secret of health.
  
  
• Honesty is the shortest path.
  
  

Thank you for being with me.

I’ll see you in the next one.

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© Glory Kim. All rights reserved.
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