Don’t Just Plan Life. Feel It. Live It. Now.

by Dr Abhishek Gilara

We plan for tomorrow. For the weekend. For next year. For the next five. We plan our careers, our children’s futures, retirement homes, and even how we’ll feel when we “finally succeed”.

And in chasing these plans—sometimes joyfully, sometimes obsessively—we forget the only thing never planned: how long we’ll live.

We forget that we live on a planet where everything has an expiry date—including us and those we love.

A story shakes us awake.

Pratik Joshi, a software engineer in London, had spent six long years building a dream—a life abroad for his wife and three little children still in India. Finally, the wait was over. His wife, Dr. Komi Vyas, a respected doctor, resigned. Bags were packed. Goodbyes said. The future was finally here.

They boarded Air India flight 171. A family of five. Smiles. A selfie. A new life awaited.

But they never arrived.

The flight crashed. No survivors.

“May their souls rest in peace.”

A lifetime of dreams… gone in seconds.

This is not just news. This is a lesson that hurts.

Because life is terrifyingly fragile.

So while you plan your tomorrow—don’t forget to live your now.

Hold your child’s hand a little longer. Say “I love you” a little louder. Breathe slower. Laugh deeper. Forgive faster. Celebrate more, even while you’re building.

Don’t wait for happiness. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Because life is not guaranteed to wait for you.

Make sure that in the process of planning your future, you don’t forget to truly live your present.