Life is too short
Definition: Don’t waste time on unimportant matters or negative feelings. Dating from the mid-1800s, this phrase may allude to the Latin proverb, Ars longa, vita brevis (“art is lasting, life is short”). It is generally used to dismiss unimportant concerns, as well as to encourage some activity. For example, “Go ahead and use your vacation days—life’s too short to put them off.” Or, as novelist William G. Tapply put it in Gray Ghost (2007), “Life was too damn short and uncertain to keep doing things that didn’t feel right and that you didn’t believe in.”
Related and Similar Terms:
- Carpe Diem: Latin for “seize the day,” often used to urge someone to make the most of the present moment.
- YOLO (You Only Live Once): Modern-day equivalent encouraging taking risks and living fully.
- Live life to the fullest: A call to embrace all that life has to offer without hesitation.
- Make hay while the sun shines: Make the most of life’s opportunities while they last.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff: Focus on what really matters and let go of minor annoyances.
Educational Nibbles 🌟:
- Synonyms: Don’t worry about it, Enjoy life, Life’s too precious.
- Antonyms: Stress over details, Worry wart, Life’s drudgery.
Witticisms & Quotes 🧐:
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” — John Lennon
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” — Abraham Lincoln
“Life’s too short for fake butter, cheese, or people.” — Karen Salmansohn
Provocative Proverbs:
- “Time and tide wait for no man.”
- “Live and let live.”
- “You can’t take it with you when you go.”
Literature, Songs & More:
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Books:
- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- On the Road by Jack Kerouac
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Movies:
- Dead Poets Society (1989)
- The Bucket List (2007)
- Amélie (2001)
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Songs:
- “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw
- “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi
- “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day
Inspiring Farewell Thought 🌅:
Embrace the brevity of life. Don’t let the moment slip by unnoticed as you’re too busy sweating the small stuff. Laugh louder, dream bigger, and live a little crazier—after all, we’ve got just one shot at this dance!
