This quote comes from the poem "Carpe Diem" written by Horace.
"Ask not—we cannot know—what end the gods have set for you, for me; nor attempt the Babylonian reckonings Leuconoë. How much better to endure whatever comes, whether Jupiter grants us additional winters or whether this is our last, which now wears out the Tuscan Sea upon the barrier of the cliffs! Be wise, strain the wine; and since life is brief, prune back far-reaching hopes! Even while we speak, envious time has passed: [seize] the day, putting as little trust as possible in tomorrow!"
My favorite line out of the whole poem is the last line. It basically means that you have to live in the moment and not fret over what will happen tomorrow or the next day or the next week etc. I also like when Horace says, "How much better to endure whatever comes, whether Jupiter grants us additional winters or whether this is our last..." The connotation of that is even if there are no more winters to come; as in even if this is our last winter, we should life life to the fullest. We shouldn't trust the future because it hasn't happened yet. We don't know what the future holds, so we have to live for today.
Note: The literal meaning of Carpe is pluck but some would rather use the word seize. I think it makes the poem more powerful to say seize.
Source: Horace. epicurus.net, 2012. Web. May 4, 2012
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