Time is long but life is short.

Hear, O children of the fleeting hour, the words of Stevie Wonder, who sang both with voice and with soul: “Time is long but life is short.” This saying, though clothed in simplicity, carries the weight of eternity and the urgency of the moment. For it reminds us that the vast river of time flows endlessly, while our own journey upon its waters is but a brief passage, a spark glimmering against the night.

The origin of these words springs from the heart of an artist who has touched generations. Stevie Wonder, blinded in infancy yet blessed with a vision deeper than sight, has always woven wisdom into his music. His words are not idle musings, but lessons born of reflection: that while the universe stretches beyond measure, and time itself has no end, each human being is bound to the narrow span of years allotted. Thus he calls us to cherish the brevity of life, to live fully, for our moment upon the stage is short indeed.

Consider this: the mountains stand for ages, the stars burn for millennia, and the seas shift their shores over centuries. Yet a man may come and go in less than a century, like a leaf blown from the tree of existence. Time is long, enduring without pause, indifferent to our joys and sorrows. Life is short, fragile and fleeting, like a song that begins and ends before the silence closes again. The greatness of Wonder’s words lies in their balance: they do not mourn the brevity, but rather awaken us to urgency, that we may fill the little we are given with much that is worthy.

History bears witness to this truth. Think of Alexander the Great, who conquered the known world before the age of thirty-three, yet perished young, leaving behind an empire that time itself eventually consumed. His life was short, yet filled with deeds that echo still. Or consider Leonardo da Vinci, who though mortal like us all, spent his short span pouring forth inventions, paintings, and ideas that still shine centuries later. Both remind us that though life is short, what we do within it can echo into the long corridors of time.

The meaning, then, is not despair but challenge. If time stretches endlessly but our life burns swiftly, then let us not waste our flame. Every day squandered is a jewel cast into the sea; every act of kindness, every creation, every moment of love is a torch lit against the dark. The shortness of life is not a curse but a call, reminding us that what is limited must be treasured, and what is fleeting must be lived with full heart.

The lesson is plain. Do not wait endlessly, thinking that time belongs to you; it does not. Do not drift as though tomorrow is guaranteed; it is not. Instead, act while you can, love while you can, forgive while you can, create while you can. For while time is long, your life is not, and to live as though you had forever is to awaken too late to find your years gone like smoke.

Practical wisdom follows: rise each morning with purpose, for each sunrise is a gift. Guard your hours, for they are the true wealth of your life. Live with intensity, not in restless haste but in meaningful presence, giving yourself wholly to what matters. And above all, remember Stevie Wonder’s truth: the length of time should humble you, but the brevity of life should move you to action.

So let his words endure in your heart: “Time is long but life is short.” May they stir you to live not half-asleep, but awake, not timidly, but boldly, so that when your short life has ended, its song will continue to echo in the long music of time.