There is No Start or Stop, It’s Only When and How
Life doesn’t always run on a stopwatch.
We often hear people say, “Start now!” or “Stop doing this!” as if life were a machine that could be powered on or off at will. But when you look a little deeper, you’ll realize—there is no absolute “start” or “stop.” It’s only about when we choose to act, and how we choose to move.
The Myth of Perfect Timing
Many of us wait for the “right moment” to begin something new—a job, a fitness journey, a creative project, or even healing. But truthfully, there is no perfect moment.
Things don’t begin when the clock strikes a certain hour; they begin when you decide. And even then, the process is rarely neat. It’s messy, irregular, and filled with trial and error. But that’s okay.
It’s Not Over Until You Say So
On the flip side, we tend to declare things “over” far too easily. A relationship, a habit, a dream—once it gets difficult, we want to stop. But most things don’t end just like that. They evolve, they fade, they transform. Stopping is rarely sudden; it’s often a shift in how we relate to something.
It’s All About the When and the How
Instead of fixating on “starting” or “stopping,” maybe we need better questions:
- When does this feel aligned with who I am?
- How can I move forward gently, even if I’m unsure?
- When am I ready to let go, and how can I do it gracefully?
These questions are softer, more human. They make space for growth, not just action. For reflection, not just results.
A River, Not a Switch
Life flows like a river. You don’t “start” or “stop” a river. You step into it, float with it, or swim against it—but it always moves. The same applies to your habits, your passions, your relationships, and your healing.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a grand moment to begin something.
You don’t need a dramatic finale to end it.
Just ask yourself:
“When does this feel right?”
“How do I want to walk this path?”
Because truly, there is no start or stop. It’s only when and how.
🌿 The Story of the Worn Path
There once lived an old man named Bhairav in a small village at the edge of a forest. Every morning, before the sun would rise, Bhairav would walk into the forest with a cloth bag, a walking stick, and no real destination. He’d return only by sunset, dusty, smiling, and at peace.
Curious, a young boy named Kavi from the village approached him one day and asked, “Bhairav kaka, where do you go every day? And why don’t you ever stop to rest?”
Bhairav smiled and replied, “I don’t go anywhere. I just walk. Some days, I follow the birds. Some days, I follow my breath. There’s no beginning to my walk, and no end. Just like thoughts… they come, they go.”
Kavi frowned. “But don’t you need a purpose? A start and an end? Like school has a bell, farming has a season, even the train has a schedule!”
The old man chuckled and said, “When you walk for a destination, you only see what’s ahead. When you walk to walk, you see everything. One day I saw a sapling push through stone. Another day I watched a deer pause, just to listen to the wind. If I waited for the right season to begin or the right reason to stop, I would’ve missed all of it.”
Years passed. Kavi grew up, left for the city, chased deadlines and achievements. But when life got too noisy, he would remember Bhairav’s words. And one fine morning, he returned to the village, picked up a stick, and walked into the forest—not to escape, not to achieve, but to feel. He finally understood: Life isn’t a journey from start to stop. It’s just a path, and it’s always about when we choose to walk it, and how we do.
