Waiting on tomorrow, you lose today.

What it means

Expectation is the biggest obstacle to living, Seneca says, because it leans on tomorrow and throws away today. Everything ahead is uncertain. Today is the only part you hold.

The source

"Waiting on tomorrow, you lose today." Seneca said it in On the Shortness of Life 9.1. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.

"Maximum uiuendi impedimentum est exspectatio, quae pendet ex crastino, perdit hodiernum."

Original Latin, On the Shortness of Life 9.1. Text read at thelatinlibrary.com.

Who said it

Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). Stoic philosopher, playwright and adviser to the emperor Nero. His letters to his friend Lucilius are the most readable handbook of Stoicism ever written.

Questions

What does "Waiting on tomorrow, you lose today." mean?

Expectation is the biggest obstacle to living, Seneca says, because it leans on tomorrow and throws away today. Everything ahead is uncertain. Today is the only part you hold.

Who said "Waiting on tomorrow, you lose today."?

Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). Source: On the Shortness of Life 9.1.

What is the original Latin?

Maximum uiuendi impedimentum est exspectatio, quae pendet ex crastino, perdit hodiernum. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Waiting on tomorrow, you lose today." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Waiting on tomorrow, you lose today." (Seneca, On the Shortness of Life 9.1, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/waiting-on-tomorrow-you-lose-today