Time to pass. Time to let go.

Zidane, considered by many to be the finest of his generation, is my hero. His skills were legendary, his legacy, golden. But he knew something that was not easy to master - He knew how to pass. Not passing the ball around. 'Pass' refers to the art of letting go. Zidane knew when to let go, when to pass on the baton of greatness to the next generation. He announced his retirement before the world cup, and remained commited to his decision. He knew exactly when to have his exit.

Similarly for some other greats as well. Luis Figo, the portugese winger, is another classic example of a great who ended his career on a high. Aide Iskander and S Subramani, pillars of the Singapore football squad, played their swansongs in the best way possible. Henrick Larsson, the great Swede, had the inner strength to leave Man Utd at the right time. Michael Schumacher, the greatest ever driver F1 has ever witnessed, decided to leave the world of grand prix at the proper time.

In politics as well, many great statesmen knew exactly when to retire from leadership. Stepping down means letting go of power, and many find themselves unable to do this. Yet those who relentlessly refuse to release their grip on power find themselves being despised more than loved. Look at Nelson Mandela, one of my political heroes. After fighting for freedom for so many decades, he could step down after just one term of presidency. Truly amazing, this man.

In life, there are many instances where we find passing, or letting go, very difficult indeed. When people die, and we have to admit that everyone is mortal indeed, we find it difficult to let go of that person. The memory lingers on, the spirit lives on. Yet we find ourselves sorely missing that person.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. The world misses John F Kennedy and John Lennon, yet the people who misses them the most now realise that they were the ones who did not appreciate them 40 years ago. The world misses Albert Einstein more now than ever before. Nevertheless, we have to learn to accept the art of passing and letting go. Indeed, nothing lasts forever. So treasure everything and everyone around you today. If you treasure them now, you will find it easier to let go when time forces you to do so.