I'm only 20; you've got your whole career ahead of you. I'm just

Declan Rice, young yet wise in spirit, once spoke these words: “I’m only 20; you’ve got your whole career ahead of you. I’m just focused on playing for West Ham and playing with a smile on my face and enjoying it.” Though uttered in the early days of his journey, these words shine with the light of timeless wisdom. For in them lies the recognition that life, like football, is not only about triumphs yet to come, but about the joy one finds in the present moment. He reminds us that while ambition calls us forward, it is the ability to live with a smile and enjoyment in the now that sustains the soul.

The ancients, too, taught this balance. They spoke of the danger of reaching always into tomorrow while forgetting today. The Stoics, from Epictetus to Marcus Aurelius, warned that man loses himself when he lives only in expectation of future glory, for the present is all that is truly his. Declan Rice’s words are thus no less than an echo of this ancient philosophy: though he sees the horizon of a long career, he does not chase it anxiously but instead roots himself in the joy of the game before him, wearing a smile as his armor.

Consider the story of Pelé, who as a boy in Brazil played barefoot with makeshift balls crafted of rags. He was not yet the king of football, not yet crowned with World Cups or bathed in global fame. Yet he played with abandon, with joy, with a smile that revealed love rather than burden. That spirit carried him into history’s pages. Pelé’s greatness was not born solely of skill, but of his capacity to enjoy the game even under pressure. Rice’s words spring from this same fountain of wisdom: that love of the craft, not fear of the future, is the truest path to greatness.

There is a lesson here, not only for athletes but for all souls who labor. The young often hear the voice of urgency: build your career, secure your future, chase your glory before it slips away. Yet if one lives only for tomorrow, one becomes blind to the treasures of today. A craftsman, a scholar, a parent, or a leader must all remember: the true strength lies in finding joy in the task at hand, and in letting the smile guide the labor. For when the heart is joyful, the work becomes not toil but blessing.

Mark this well: ambition without joy is a chain, but ambition with joy is a torch. Declan Rice shows that even in the cauldron of competition, one may carry lightness. The smile he speaks of is not mere expression but the reflection of inner freedom—the refusal to let pressure crush the soul, the choice to remember why one began in the first place. Such a mindset not only nurtures longevity but also inspires all who witness it. For who is not uplifted by the sight of one who works with joy?

Practical counsel flows from this wisdom. Whatever field you walk, do not despise the present season. If you are at the beginning, treasure the freedom of learning and growth. If you are in the midst, let enjoyment be your companion, not only success. And if you are nearing the end, look back not with regret but with gratitude for every smile given and received. Like Rice, ground yourself in the task before you, and let your joy carry you toward the future without fear.

Therefore, O listener, let this teaching be carved into your heart: the career ahead will come in its time, but the present moment is a jewel that must not be ignored. Play your game, whatever it may be, with passion, with presence, with a smile upon your face. For he who delights in the journey, not just the destination, is already victorious. And such a one, whether on the field of football or in the field of life, shall leave behind not only triumphs, but joy that others will remember long after the final whistle has blown.