# He was wishing away months of his life

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-teacher-wishing-away-months
- Themes: present moment, work, impatience, meaning
- Life situations: hating a job, waiting for retirement, wishing life away

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A fellow high-school teacher, stuck finishing a contract before a new job, realised on the way to work that he was wishing away four or five months of his life to reach the destination — and that shook Ajahn Brahm.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

he said he'd woke up that morning on on way to work he realized he was wishing away months of his life cuz he was in a job he didn't like and he couldn't change a job for another four or five months and so those four or five months he was trying to get rid of as soon as possible

## Teaching point

Wishing away the in-between wastes the only life you have now.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Stuck in a job until a new one began, a fellow teacher realised he was wishing away months of his life. That shook young Ajahn Brahm. We wish away weeks for the weekend and years for retirement. The in-between is still your life. Live it now, not just the destination.

## Source

- [In Between | Ajahn Brahm | 27-05-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uln6baN98g) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 2:20 to 2:43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uln6baN98g&t=140s