Spend the afternoon. You can’t take it with you.
—Annie Dillard (b.1945) Essayist, Novelist, Poet, Naturalist, Mystic
The value of moments, when cast up, is immense, if well employed; if thrown away, their loss is irrevocable.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But here was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that this was my life. This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.
—Unknown
We cannot waste time. We can only waste ourselves.
—George Madison Adams (1837–1920) American Politician, Military Leader
Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think.
—Chinese Proverb
The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Life is always walking up to us and saying, “Come on in, the living’s fine,” and what do we do? Back off and take its picture.
—Russell Baker (1925–2019) American Journalist, Humorist, Television Host
Most of us spend our lives as if we had another one in the bank.
—Unknown
One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. No man has learned anything rightly, until he knows that every day is Doomsday.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Time is a great teacher but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.
—Hector Berlioz (1803–69) French Composer, Conductor
What would be the use of immortality to a person who cannot use well a half an hour.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Every day is an opportunity to make a new happy ending.
—Unknown
though love be a day and life be nothing, it shall not stop kissing.
—e. e. cummings (1894–1962) American Poet, Writer, Painter
To-morrow – oh, ’twill never be,
If we should live a thousand years!
Our time is all to-day, to-day,
The same, though changed; and while it flies
With still small voice the moments say:
“To-day, to-day, be wise, be wise”.
—James Montgomery (1771–1854) Scottish Poet, Journalist, Hymnist
Present your family and friends with their eulogies now – they won’t be able to hear how much you love them and appreciate them from inside the coffin.
—Anonymous
A man that is young in years may be old in hours, if he has lost no time.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
The light which puts out our eyes is darkness to us. Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.
—Scottish Proverb
You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted.
—Unknown
Is there life before death?
—Unknown
If we would only give, just once, the same amount of reflection to what we want to get out of life that we give to the question of what to do with a two weeks’ vacation, we would be startled at our false standards and the aimless procession of our busy days.
—Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879–1958) American Novelist
We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.
—Japanese Proverb
The word “now” is like a bomb thrown through the window, and it ticks.
—Arthur Miller (1915–2005) American Playwright, Essayist
Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
‘Tis better to buy a small bouquet
And give to your friend this very day,
Than a bushel of roses white and red
To lay on his coffin after he’s dead.
—Unknown
Now is the time to get drunk! To stop being the martyred slaves of time, to get absolutely drunk—on wine, poetry, or on virtue, as you please.
—Charles Baudelaire (1821–67) French Poet, Art Critic, Essayist, Translator
Death twitches my ear. “Live,” he says, “I am coming.”
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
Every second is of infinite value.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
When one subtracts from life infancy (which is vegetation), sleep, eating and swilling, buttoning and unbuttoning – how much remains of downright existence? The summer of a dormouse.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
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