Greetings from Seneca to Lucilius.
Continue to act like this, my dear Lucílio: free yourself; save and save your time, which until recently was forcibly taken away, stolen or simply slipped out of your hands. Believe the truth of my words – certain moments are snatched from us, some are gently removed, and others slip beyond our reach. The most unfortunate loss, however, is that caused by carelessness. If you pay attention to the problem, you will see that most of our lives are spent in unpleasant activities, a good part in inactivity, and, in short, all of it doing things we shouldn't be doing.
Which man can you show me who truly values his time, who gives each day its due importance, and who understands that he is dying every day? For we are mistaken in thinking that death is something of the future; most of the death is over. The years that are behind us already belong to death. Therefore, Lucílio, do as you write to me that you are doing: make the most of every hour that is within your reach. Get involved with today's task, and you won't need to depend so much on tomorrow. While we postpone, life passes by.
Nothing, Lucílio, is ours beyond time. Nature has granted us this unique asset, so ephemeral and slippery that anyone can usurp this possession. What fools these mortals are! They allow cheap, useless, easily replaceable things to be accounted for only after they are acquired; but they never consider themselves in debt when receiving a part of that precious commodity, time! And yet time is the only loan that not even the most grateful recipient can return.
You may want to know how I am practicing what I preach. I confess frankly: my balance is what would be expected from someone who is generous but careful. I cannot boast of not wasting anything, but at least I can tell you what I am wasting, the cause and form of the waste; I can give you the reasons why I am a poor man. My situation is the same as that of many who fall into misery through no fault of their own: everyone forgives them, but no one helps them.
What is the situation then? It is this: I do not consider a man poor if the little he has left is sufficient. However, I advise you to preserve what is truly yours; and it's never too early to start. Because, as our predecessors believed, it's too late to spend when you hit rock bottom. Of what remains at the bottom, the quantity is small and the quality is negligible.
Stay Strong. Stay Well.
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