By Leon Rapoport

It was a beautiful summer morning. As the man walked toward his workplace in the early hours of the day, the sun shone brightly through the clouds, illuminating the world with deep warmth. The Earth was still waking up around him as he sauntered away from his car, fumbling with the keys. From the smallest flower to the largest tree, the vegetation stretched and straightened itself to gaze at the bright sun that had woken nature from its deep slumber. The land was rich with life: a herd of deer could be seen feeding on the lush, green grass, and young schools of fish, colored vibrant red and orange, raced each other along a small stream near the edge of a forest. The water’s clear surface sparkled in the sunlight, attracting the attention of other animals who sheepishly wandered over to the stream and dipped their faces into it, taking a sip of the cool, replenishing water. And the world never stood still; as soon as one could say that things looked serene, a strong breeze of wind suddenly sprung into existence, washing over the grassy plains and waves of trees and springing dandelion seeds into the air. As the wind relaxed, the dandelions settled across the land, covering the fields in a gentle blanket of white. It was an incredible day, filled with wonder, life, and beauty. 

But Harold didn’t notice any of that. 

He stretched his fingers and clicked “Enter.” The screen blinked for a moment, then loaded. Harold looked up from his desk. He was in his late twenties, with dark, tangled hair, pale skin, and black circles under his eyes. He was exhausted. He had been working a consistent fifteen hours a day for longer than he could remember, and it was starting to show. However, he had no plans of stopping any time soon because, regardless of how hard it was, he had to give it his all in order to succeed. 

Harold had always excelled in school and college. He was intelligent, but it was more than that. While his peers spent their afternoons slacking off and their evenings partying, he spent every second of his spare time studying or working. While the people surrounding him succumbed to the temptation of short-term pleasure, he knew that true success required sacrifice and dedication. And so, whether in college or at his job, while others wasted their time on leisure, he worked, worked, and worked–because he knew that above all, the most important thing in a person’s life was success. Relaxing would come later. Pleasure would have to wait until he was on top of the world. But right now, he needed to focus on success. And he was incredibly successful.

At only twenty-seven, he already had a salary well into the six figures as a senior financial analyst at Right-Side Light Investments. Due to his extensive commitment to the job, he had risen the ranks of the company faster than anyone in its history, and he knew that long hours in the office and a ragged sleep schedule were a small price to pay for such prosperity. “Harold, want to grab lunch together?” 

He looked up at the source of the voice. It was one of his coworkers–Olivia. Ugh. 

Harold narrowed his eyes at her. He had never had friends. Nor had he ever been in a romantic relationship. Both offered no practical purpose and served only as a waste of time. Anything that wasn’t directly aimed at making money or power or any other form of profit was a waste of time, and, evidently, stupid. 

“I’m good,” he replied. “I eat my lunch at my desk while working.” 

She frowned. “I know, but you should take breaks sometime.” 

He puckered his lips and turned back to his computer. 

“I appreciate the advice. Will reach out if I have any further time management questions.” He started scanning the key financials of his client. 

“Hey, I’m serious,” she stepped up to him and leaned against his desk. “It’s not just about resting. Harold, you’re not doing anything except working, and everyone here knows it.” “The most important thing in life is success.” His eyes remained glued to the screen. “Now stop bothering me.” 

“Your success isn’t going to do you any good if you don’t take the time to enjoy it,” she persisted. “Look, I’m not saying you should force yourself to hang out with people. I also like my alone time, and that’s perfectly fine. But you need to find a balance between work and play. I actually use the money that I earn, while you just worry about how to transform it into further profit.” 

Harold’s eyes slid toward her. 

“Sure. Now please let me work in peace.” 

Olivia sighed. “It’s the small moments in life that matter the most. You’re not living, Harold. You’re just surviving.” 

You’re not living, Harold. You’re just surviving.

Harold’s eyes shifted back to his monitor.

“I’m not just surviving, I’m preparing. Preparing to thrive. And one day, when I’m on top of the world, you’ll all realize that.” 

“No,” she whispered quietly as she turned around. “No, you can’t say that. No one knows what their future holds for them, or even if that future exists for them. You have to live in the present, or you’ll always be waiting for a tomorrow that might never come.” She stepped away and disappeared behind a corner. 

You have to live in the present, or you’ll always be waiting for a tomorrow that might never come.

Ugh. 

An alarm appeared on his screen, jolting him out of his thoughts. He immediately jumped to his feet. It was 12:00pm, the time that Gary Malcof, the CEO of the company, had told him to show up to his office at. Harold grinned. Would he finally be receiving his next promotion? A minute later, he was in front of Malcof’s door. He knocked. 

“Come in.” 

Harold took a deep breath and opened the door. 

Gary Malcof, the current head and CEO of Right-Side Light Investments, looked up at him. “Sit down.” 

Harold stepped forward and sat down in the chair across the desk from Malcof. Malcof leaned forward, his eyes staring directly into Harold’s eyes. Harold suddenly felt a wave of nervousness pass through his body. Something felt off. Whereas Malcof usually engaged him with some small talk and a joke or two before addressing the issue at hand, the man suddenly seemed unnaturally silent and stern. Malcof studied him silently with an intense glare. Then, he sighed, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair. 

“I’m doing something I should have done a long time ago,” Malcof announced, opening his eyes. “Harold. Do you know how I reached this position as head of the firm?” Harold hesitated. “You worked countless hours and pursued success no matter how challenging it was?” 

Malcof looked down. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I did.” He turned his head slightly and glanced at a framed photograph on his desk. It was a portrait of his family. “That’s exactly what I did,” Malcof repeated. “And I regret it.” 

“What?” Harold raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?” 

Malcof smiled sadly.

“You see, they found something–they say it’s a tumor–up here,” he pointed to his head. “We don’t know how long I have left.” 

Harold’s eyes widened in horror. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. There wasn’t anything he could say that would help in the situation. He looked up slowly and noticed that Malcof was still looking at the framed photo on his desk. Harold’s eyes followed Malcof’s and landed on the portrait. It was a photograph of Malcof, his wife, and their two small kids on a large grassy field. Harold knew that Malcof’s children had long since gone to high school, which meant that at least ten years or so had passed since the picture had been taken. In other words, to put it into perspective, Harold had been about seventeen when this photo had been taken. 

Seventeen? 

Harold froze. 

It’s been ten years since I finished school? Wait…how has so much time gone by…? Harold stared at the desk in front of him. School, college, work. He could barely remember anything from the past ten years of his life. 

Where had all the time gone? 

Malcof’s sudden sigh ripped him out of his thoughts. 

“After thinking it over, I’ve reached a decision,” he declared. “I’m announcing my immediate retirement and promoting you to the head of the company, Harold.” Harold gaped at him, once again unable to reply, but Malcof continued. 

“I’ve noticed your hard work and dedication since the day you joined us. But give it some thought; you can decline this promotion. It’s a terribly time-consuming management position. I worked so much to get to this position, and I work so much to maintain it. Too much. Looking back, there’s really only one thing I truly regret…” He looked down. “Not working less.” 

Harold straightened in his seat suddenly, his face pale in shock. “Sir, I definitely accept! You can count on me! I won’t–” 

“Do you have a family, Harold?” Malcof interrupted. Harold froze mid-sentence. “No.” 

“Friends?” 

“No.” 

“Anyone…or anything…at all?”

“I…no.” 

“I see.” The older man adjusted his glasses. “Then I’m afraid you can’t quite understand how it feels to realize what you’ve lost far too late.” 

Harold swallowed nervously. 

“What did you lose, sir?” 

“Time.” Malcof smiled sadly. “Time. They say that time is money, but they’re wrong. Time is so much more valuable than money.” Malcof looked up at Harold. Though his boss was staring directly at him as he spoke, Harold somehow felt that Malcof was speaking more to himself than to anyone else. “So, though it cannot make up for the time I’ve lost, I have decided that I will spend the rest of what I have left with those I love.” 

They say that time is money, but they’re wrong. Time is so much more valuable than money.

Harold looked down, breaking eye contact. 

“I’m so sorry, sir,” he whispered. Malcof stood up tiredly. “I’m entrusting this to you because I know how smart and hardworking you are. Far more than me, in both aspects. I just ask one thing of you, Harold.” Malcof stepped past him and placed his hand on the younger man’s shoulder.” 

“There’s a balance to everything. Enjoy your life. Don’t make the same mistake that I did.” 

Malcof stepped out of the room, leaving Harold alone with a thousand thoughts racing through his head. 

^^^^^^^^^^ 

Harold stepped out of the building into the dim evening light. The moon shone brightly, illuminating his dark surroundings. He had returned to work as soon as they’d finished talking, but he had barely accomplished anything in his dazed state. 

The way he saw it, there was only one major difference between himself and Malcof. While both had been highly successful, now that Harold had inherited the reins, he realized that he had done so at a significantly younger age than Malcof had. 

A delighted grin crept onto Harold’s lips. 

“That’s right. He’s accomplished so much, but I’m a step ahead of him. I’m even more successful. Everything…everything is finally settling into the right place. Finally.” Harold spread his arms, a wide smile plastered to his face.

They were all so wrong. At only twenty-seven, he was already so far ahead of everyone. He was already so successful. And what lay in store for him was only becoming more and more successful. He knew that what he was doing was a sacrifice, but he also knew that it was a sacrifice that he would one day profit tremendously from–one day, when he would finally reach his goal of being on top of the entire world. Happiness? Pleasure? He had no time for such shallow thoughts. While the masses all wasted away their lives with various forms of entertainment, he was the only one who worked, worked, and worked toward success. And now, with his newfound success, he was one giant step closer. 

The future–the future! What lay in store for him was beautiful! He was always the best, and he would always be the best. He would be the most successful of them all. He stepped forward and began walking. The night was almost entirely silent, with only the occasional scamper of a small animal here and there. Ahead of him, the powerful light from the moon towered over the forest of trees, casting dark shadows over the land before him. Somewhere to his left, the screeching of a car sharply turning a corner sounded out distantly through the night, causing a flock of birds to spring to life from their sleep and scatter into the air out of fear. A steady stream of wind sailed along the street, seeping into the ground and picking up leaves and twigs to spring them into the air, causing small rabbits, squirrels, and all of their equally sized friends to dash to and fro in fear of the suddenly animated swirling vortexes of debris. 

But Harold didn’t notice any of that. He never did. These miniscule details just didn’t matter to him, and his meeting with Malcof had precisely proven what he had always known: that it would all be worth it in the end. One day, he truly would rule the world. Because, no matter what, he would keep working as hard as he could, never wasting time on “leisure” or “hobbies.” Never wasting time “catching lunch with your friends” or “reading a book for pleasure.” Never wasting time “reaching out to family” or “appreciating the tiny moments in life, because you never know what the future holds for you.” And, one day, he knew he would finally thrive. One day, he knew he would tower over everyone else. One day, he knew he would– 

The driver speeding around the corner decided to check his phone at a bad time.

Leon Rapoport is a freshman majoring in Mathematics and pursuing a Pre-Law track.