Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.

Hear now the words of Sam Levenson, a teacher of wit and wisdom, who spoke with clarity about the nature of time: “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” This saying is both simple and profound. It reminds us that time is relentless in its march—never pausing, never doubting, never weary. The clock does not question whether it should continue, nor does it hesitate in fear. Its hands turn, steady and faithful, marking the flow of life. So too must we be, if we are to triumph over the trials that confront us.

The ancients understood this rhythm. They knew that the sun rises and sets without fail, the moon waxes and wanes, the seasons turn in their appointed course. Nature does not grow weary of its duty; it simply endures. To watch the clock in anxious waiting is to waste the moment. But to live as the clock lives—ever moving forward—is to honor the gift of time. Levenson calls us away from idleness and into perseverance, reminding us that the essence of success lies not in speed, but in constancy.

Consider the life of Thomas Edison, whose quest to bring light to the world required thousands of trials. Had he spent his days only watching the clock, counting the hours of failure, he would have abandoned his task. But like the hands of time, he chose to keep going. Each attempt, though marked by disappointment, was one more step toward victory. At last, the light shone, not because he was spared hardship, but because he endured it.

History also recalls the story of Florence Nightingale. In the Crimean War, when soldiers lay dying in filth and neglect, she did not despair at the enormity of the task. She did not count the long nights or weary hours. Instead, she kept going, tending the wounded, cleaning the wards, carrying her lamp through the darkness. Her perseverance turned despair into hope, and her labor became a light not just for the battlefield, but for the future of medicine itself.

Thus, O seeker, take this truth to heart: greatness is not won in a single leap, but in the steady march of days. To sit idle, lamenting the passage of time, is to waste the very thing you fear losing. But to move, as the clock moves, is to transform each hour into progress. The hand that turns does not stop to wonder how far remains; it simply goes forward. So too must your hand, your heart, your life.

Let your spirit, then, be steadfast. When discouragement whispers that you have labored too long, remind yourself of the clock, which knows no fatigue. When you grow weary of waiting for results, remember that the fruit ripens not by watching, but by nurturing. Action, not worry, brings harvest. Progress, not delay, brings fulfillment.

In practice, build the habit of steady effort. Each day, take one step toward your goal, however small. Do not ask how far remains; ask only how you may advance today. Refuse to measure your worth by speed, but by persistence. For it is not the one who runs the fastest who always triumphs, but the one who endures to the end.

So I say unto you: do not watch the clock—be as the clock. Turn steadily, move forward, and never cease. The secret of the ages is not in waiting, but in walking. Keep going, and time itself shall bear witness to your victory.