seize the day
Carpe Diem - Seize the Day
Pluck the day as it is ripe. Remember that you are mortal, so seize the day.
The phrase is part of the longer carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero, which is often translated as "Seize the day, put very little trust in tomorrow (the future)". The ode says that the future is unforeseen and that one should not leave to chance future happenings, but rather one should do all one can today to make one's own future better.
Other Latin
Collige, virgo, rosas ("gather, girl, the roses"). encourages youth to enjoy life before it is too late
De Brevitate Vitae" ("On the Shortness of Life").
Momento mori (remember that you are mortal)
Mindfulness of our own mortality is key in making us realize the importance of the moment.
Make your lives extraordinary
In the 1989 American film Dead Poets Society, the English teacher John Keating, played by Robin Williams, famously says: "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."
