Brand Banter: To Be AOD Is To Stop Waiting For The Right Moment To Live

There’s an old saying in Hindi: “Poot kapoot toh ka dhan sanchay, poot sapoot toh ka dhan sanchay.” If your children are worthy, they’ll stand on their own. If not, no amount of inherited wealth will save them. And yet, many of us willingly trade their present happiness for a hypothetical, distant future—hoarding wealth, deferring joy, and postponing dreams, all in the hope that it will somehow secure the lives of the next generation.

But life doesn’t follow your savings plan. It plays by its own rules.

Take the recent Ahmedabad–London flight tragedy—a horrific crash where every passenger perished except a couple. A woman missed the flight by ten minutes. Another survived in what is now being called the “miracle seat”—11A; he walked unscathed! They lived not because of careful planning or disciplined investment, but because fate rolled the dice, and it happened to land in their favour. Everyone else died, including several people on the ground who had nothing to do with the flight.

This wasn’t just a tragedy; it was a wake-up call—a brutal reminder of life’s unpredictable nature.

This piece is not an argument against saving or planning. It’s a call for balance. Yes, prepare for tomorrow, but not at the cost of missing out on today. Aim for security, but don’t mistake it for immortality. Because no policy, portfolio, or property can guarantee you next week. That’s why the concept of AOD—Alive on Date—matters.

‘To be Alive on Date’ is to show up for your life. To stop existing mechanically while waiting for the “right time” to live. The belief that joy must be earned through relentless suffering is one of modern life’s biggest frauds. Joy is not a trophy at the end of a race; it is the music along the way.

It’s time we embraced the philosophy of "Die Empty". Don’t hoard your best ideas, love, creativity, words or time. Don’t wait to live. Learn the drums. Go on that trek. Start a business; so what if it fails? Write the terrible novel you have been thinking of. Call your old friend. Live richly—emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually—not just financially.

Death is inevitable. But dying with potential still locked inside you? That’s the real tragedy.

Let’s also accept duality—life’s foundational truth. You will face both success and failure. There will be happiness and heartbreak and calm and chaos. Don’t delay living until conditions are perfect. They never will be. Perfection is a con artist, and procrastination is its accomplice.

Too many people spend their lives grinding in service of a future where they “might” finally rest. They work not for themselves but for the next generation. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: if your children are strong, they’ll walk barefoot and still make it. If they’re not, even a gold-plated staircase won’t help them rise.

So, leave values, not just valuables. Share stories, not just shares. Give them a legacy of bold living, not just bank balances. Let them remember a parent who lived with passion and purpose—someone who read poetry, rode bikes, failed spectacularly, and smiled through it all while sipping coffee on a favourite balcony. That is what builds resilience. That is what inspires.

Ask yourself: What are you saving your happiness for?

Take that holiday. Eat the dessert. Mend that relationship. Watch the sunrise. Hug a little longer. Complain a little less. You owe it to yourself—not to society, not to your insurance agent, not even to your legacy, but to your soul.

Your life is not a deferred payment scheme. You don’t earn interest on dreams you didn’t pursue. And if you believe in the spiritual philosophy that unfulfilled desires keep the soul wandering after death, well, wouldn’t you rather rest in peace than roam in regret?

AOD—‘Alive on Date’ or ‘Alive on Day’— is a mindset. A quiet, powerful rebellion against postponement. A reminder that being alive is not just about a heartbeat; it’s about being present.

Someday, all that will remain of us is the memories and metaphors. Let yours be a symphony, not a savings ledger. Let them say: You were AOD. You died empty. But you lived fully.

And in the end, that may be the only wealth worth leaving behind.

Sanjeev Kotnala is a brand and marketing consultant, writer, coach and mentor.