Time is said to be mysterious; centuries can go by without any conspicuous change that might alter the cosmos, and someone’s life may turn upside down in the blink of an eye. During the measly amount of time that we have in this terrifyingly colossal place that we call the universe, we’re expected to leave our mark, to have some sort of beneficial influence which might change the lives of many who continue to reside on this planet long after we’re gone. As we begin canoeing the river of life’s currents and don’t feel like we’ve faced any divine revelations of grave importance, our brain begins conspiring against us and we can’t stop our mind from clouding with hopeless thoughts and bleak ideas.

It’s at times like these that we’re in desperate need of consolation, moments like these that we need some sort of guarantee that the future is somehow going to be a tad bit better than what reality currently is, and that we’ll surely figure it all out someday. We cling on to that last shred of hope, the possibility that maybe, just maybe, somewhere along the road life might decide to go easy on us and leave us with some answers instead of throwing a bunch of questions at us, for a change. That brings us to the eureka moment that everyone so fondly talks about.

It’s a phenomenon that most people die before experiencing, it’s that “A-HA!” moment after you finish a puzzle that you spent hours brooding on, that moment when all of the elusive pieces tumble into perfect place and the picture is illuminated, that split second where everything seems to click, that feeling of absolute understanding when everything becomes crystal clear, that sudden moment of clarity when all the minor details come together to form a greater picture. Sometimes it feels as if the universe is fed up with our ignorance and, like a weary and sighing parent, holds out the “eureka!” to us in a neatly wrapped gift box of blood, sweat, and tears.

My eureka moment was this: realizing that there is no eureka moment. It just dawned upon me that there is a 99% chance that I’m never going to have a life-changing “eureka!” moment. I know, you probably think that’s quite an unusual one, and you wouldn’t be wrong. But I think that’s just the way it is; there won’t be a certain moment when you feel like you’ve cracked the code to life, there won’t be a moment where you’ve got it all figured out, that eureka moment which you can’t believe you missed since all the signs were clearly pointing at it simply doesn’t exist. However, there will be chaos, there will be indecisiveness, and there will be a whole sea of problems in which you will constantly feel like you’re drowning in. In spite of all this, we learn how to sail our ship and continue with our voyage like any captain would in the face of an issue. No matter how heavy the storms may be, how rough the winds might get, or how hard it might be to sail; we move on.

And that’s the beauty of being human, we know that we might not reach a happy ever after, and that it’s going to be a bumpy ride; nevertheless, we rage on. There’s a certain adrenaline rush that we get when thinking about the unpredictability of life, and that’s what makes it worth living. So, even though there is no “eureka!” moment and there’s a high chance that we’ll never feel what Archimedes felt on that fateful day in Syracuse, we are blessed with the thrilling adventure of not knowing what life has in store for us. You won’t have that moment of clarity where everything seems to fall together and suddenly make perfect sense, you won’t have that “A-HA!” moment that everyone fantasizes about and strives to reach, the purpose of life won’t hit you in the face while you’re on the treadmill; but you do have an amazing life which you can do wonders with.

Therefore, instead of wasting away precious time in search of that one “A-HA!” moment, we should come to terms with the fact that it might never happen, and that that’s totally okay. My “eureka!” moment has helped me realize that it’s better to make things happen instead of waiting for some miracle to set things straight. I’d like to conclude by quoting what Tom Hiddleston once said,

❝ We all have two lives. The second one begins once we realize we only have one. ❞

Of all the “eureka!” moments that countless people around the world have had, I think this will remain to be the greatest one of all time.

Wadana Kakakhel

G – II

Roots Millennium Schools

Khyber Campus

Peshawar