The present time has one advantage over every other - it is our

“The present time has one advantage over every other – it is our own.” Thus spoke Charles Caleb Colton, a writer of sharp wisdom, who sought to awaken mankind from the slumber of regret and the dream of tomorrow. In these words he gives us a treasure more precious than gold: the understanding that while the past is beyond recall and the future beyond grasp, the present is ours to command. It is the single portion of eternity entrusted to our stewardship, the only ground upon which our feet truly stand.

The origin of this truth is woven into the very fabric of human longing. Men have always looked backward with sorrow, yearning to undo mistakes, or forward with desire, hoping for riches, honors, or joy yet to come. But both are shadows. The past is locked, unchangeable, and the future is a mist, shaped only by what we do in the present. Colton’s insight is a cry against wastefulness: why squander the gift we hold now in pursuit of what is gone or what has not yet arrived? The present is the hour of action, the forge where destiny is shaped.

Consider the life of Julius Caesar. Standing on the banks of the Rubicon, he knew that hesitation could cost him his chance forever. The past could not return, and the future was uncertain—but the present was his. “Alea iacta est,” he declared—“the die is cast”—and he crossed the river, seizing the moment that changed history. Had he delayed, his opportunity would have perished. His story teaches that great victories are won not in memory or in dreams, but in the grasping of the present moment.

Yet the lesson is not only for generals and kings. The humblest worker in the field or student at the desk shares the same truth. To put off work until tomorrow is to gamble with a future that may never come. To dwell endlessly on the mistakes of yesterday is to waste the only tool one has to mend them: today. The power of the present lies in its immediacy—it asks not what you will do someday, but what you will do now.

And yet, how often do mortals cast aside the present as though it were worthless, while chasing phantoms of “later”? They say, “I will love when the time is right, I will begin when I am ready, I will live when I have more.” But Colton reminds us: this very breath, this very hour, is the only certainty you possess. To delay is to surrender your crown; to act now is to reign sovereign over your fate.

The wisdom of the ancients agrees. The Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote: “It is not that we have little time, but that we waste much.” The wasted present becomes a wasted life. But the cherished present, no matter how small, can yield a harvest that endures beyond generations. One word of kindness spoken today, one act of courage made now, can ripple into eternity.

Therefore, let this truth be engraved upon your heart: the present is your portion. The past is beyond you, the future is unseen, but this moment is yours. Seize it with courage. Fill it with noble deeds. Let no hour pass unused, for every day lived fully is a day that belongs to you forever.

Practical actions follow: awaken each morning and ask, “What will I do with this day that is truly mine?” Do not postpone what must be done. Do not wait to speak love or forgiveness. Begin the task, live the dream, take the step—now. For as Colton declared, the present time has one advantage over every other—it is our own. Guard it well, spend it wisely, and it will become the foundation upon which eternity itself is built.