Bhagavad Gita on Why the Best Things in Life Take Longer Than You Think
Riya Kumari | Feb 07, 2025, 23:52 IST
We live in an age that despises waiting. If something takes time, we assume something is wrong. A career that doesn’t skyrocket in five years? A relationship that isn’t an instant fairytale? Growth that feels too slow to measure? We take these as signs of failure, when in reality, they are signs of life unfolding as it should. The Bhagavad Gita has been telling us this for centuries, but we’re only now starting to understand: everything of true value takes time.
In this age of instant everything—instant noodles, instant texts, instant regret—it’s almost offensive when something dares to take its time. Whether it’s waiting for love, success, or just a text back from someone who clearly had their phone in their hands four seconds ago, we are perpetually outraged by the audacity of delayed gratification. But here’s the thing: the Bhagavad Gita has been subtly telling us for centuries that all the actually good stuff? The life-altering, soul-expanding, “damn, this was worth it” stuff? It takes time.
1. Your Work is Yours. The Outcome is Not
Krishna’s words to Arjuna are simple: You have a right to your actions, but never to the fruits of those actions. In other words, do the work, but let go of when and how the results arrive.
We struggle with this because we think effort should have an immediate payoff. If we love someone deeply, they should love us back. If we work hard, success should follow right away. But the Gita reminds us that life doesn’t operate on a predictable exchange system. Effort is never wasted, but its rewards don’t always appear when we expect them.
This isn’t unfair—it’s necessary. Sometimes, what we want would collapse under its own weight if it arrived too soon. Love that isn’t fully formed turns fragile. Success that comes before wisdom leads to ruin. The delay isn’t a denial. It’s preparation.
2. The Universe is Precise. It’s Just Not in a Hurry
We assume waiting means stagnation. That if something isn’t happening now, it might never happen. But look at nature—everything follows its time. A tree does not bloom before its roots are deep enough to hold it. A river does not carve through stone overnight. The most powerful things are not rushed.
And yet, we push ourselves to unnatural timelines, measuring our worth by how quickly we arrive. The truth? Anything forced before its time comes with a cost. The dream job that arrives before you’ve developed the strength to handle it. The love that rushes in before emotional maturity has been built. The growth that is skipped, only to become a gap that haunts you later. You are not behind. You are exactly where you need to be for what is coming next.
3. Who You Become While Waiting is the Whole Point
We focus so much on getting there that we forget becoming is the real journey. The Gita does not say, “Sit and wait for destiny.” It says, “Act without attachment.” Keep moving. Keep growing. But don’t let your peace depend on what has not yet arrived.
Because one day, the things you are so desperate for now—love, success, stability—will be part of your life. And when they are, the only thing that will matter is who you became along the way. Did you learn patience, or did you become bitter? Did you develop strength, or did you let frustration weaken you? The waiting isn’t just about time passing. It’s about you transforming into the person who can hold what you’re asking for.
4. When You Stop Chasing, What You Seek Finds You
There is a strange thing that happens when you stop needing something to happen right away—it often happens sooner. Not because you gave up, but because you let go of desperation.
The Gita teaches detachment, not as indifference, but as freedom. When you no longer grasp at outcomes, you move with confidence. You trust. And when you trust, you stop resisting the flow of life. What is meant for you doesn’t struggle to reach you—it arrives when you are open enough to receive it.
5. You Are Not Being Tested. You Are Being Refined
We see delays and hardships as tests—as if life is trying to break us. But the Gita offers a different view: what feels like a test is actually a process of refinement. Fire does not destroy gold. It purifies it. Pressure does not crush diamonds. It forms them.
You are not being punished by time. You are being prepared by it.
The Takeaway? You’re Right on Time.
Everything that matters takes time—not because life is cruel, but because true growth cannot be rushed. The things you are waiting for? They are already on their way to you. The only question is: Will you be ready when they arrive?
So do the work. Let go of the deadline. Trust that what is unfolding knows exactly where it’s going. And in the meantime? Live. Because this—the becoming, the unfolding, the waiting—is not a pause. It is the process of becoming who you were always meant to be.
1. Your Work is Yours. The Outcome is Not
Aim
( Image credit : Pexels )
Krishna’s words to Arjuna are simple: You have a right to your actions, but never to the fruits of those actions. In other words, do the work, but let go of when and how the results arrive.
We struggle with this because we think effort should have an immediate payoff. If we love someone deeply, they should love us back. If we work hard, success should follow right away. But the Gita reminds us that life doesn’t operate on a predictable exchange system. Effort is never wasted, but its rewards don’t always appear when we expect them.
This isn’t unfair—it’s necessary. Sometimes, what we want would collapse under its own weight if it arrived too soon. Love that isn’t fully formed turns fragile. Success that comes before wisdom leads to ruin. The delay isn’t a denial. It’s preparation.
2. The Universe is Precise. It’s Just Not in a Hurry
Universe
( Image credit : Pexels )
We assume waiting means stagnation. That if something isn’t happening now, it might never happen. But look at nature—everything follows its time. A tree does not bloom before its roots are deep enough to hold it. A river does not carve through stone overnight. The most powerful things are not rushed.
And yet, we push ourselves to unnatural timelines, measuring our worth by how quickly we arrive. The truth? Anything forced before its time comes with a cost. The dream job that arrives before you’ve developed the strength to handle it. The love that rushes in before emotional maturity has been built. The growth that is skipped, only to become a gap that haunts you later. You are not behind. You are exactly where you need to be for what is coming next.
3. Who You Become While Waiting is the Whole Point
Growth
( Image credit : Pexels )
We focus so much on getting there that we forget becoming is the real journey. The Gita does not say, “Sit and wait for destiny.” It says, “Act without attachment.” Keep moving. Keep growing. But don’t let your peace depend on what has not yet arrived.
Because one day, the things you are so desperate for now—love, success, stability—will be part of your life. And when they are, the only thing that will matter is who you became along the way. Did you learn patience, or did you become bitter? Did you develop strength, or did you let frustration weaken you? The waiting isn’t just about time passing. It’s about you transforming into the person who can hold what you’re asking for.
4. When You Stop Chasing, What You Seek Finds You
Arrival
( Image credit : Pexels )
There is a strange thing that happens when you stop needing something to happen right away—it often happens sooner. Not because you gave up, but because you let go of desperation.
The Gita teaches detachment, not as indifference, but as freedom. When you no longer grasp at outcomes, you move with confidence. You trust. And when you trust, you stop resisting the flow of life. What is meant for you doesn’t struggle to reach you—it arrives when you are open enough to receive it.
5. You Are Not Being Tested. You Are Being Refined
Learn
( Image credit : Pexels )
We see delays and hardships as tests—as if life is trying to break us. But the Gita offers a different view: what feels like a test is actually a process of refinement. Fire does not destroy gold. It purifies it. Pressure does not crush diamonds. It forms them.
You are not being punished by time. You are being prepared by it.
The Takeaway? You’re Right on Time.
So do the work. Let go of the deadline. Trust that what is unfolding knows exactly where it’s going. And in the meantime? Live. Because this—the becoming, the unfolding, the waiting—is not a pause. It is the process of becoming who you were always meant to be.