I am not a thing – an actor, a writer – I am a person who does things – I write, I act – and I never know what I am going to do next. Oscar Wilde said that if you know what you want to be, then you inevitably become it – that is your punishment, but if you never know, then you can be anything. In 2010, Fry was interviewed by “14-year-old Eden Parris in an interview for a Radio Times feature that enabled young readers to meet their TV heroes.” During the course of the interview, he “warned Parris that language could shape and limit people’s ambitions”:

I had no idea what she was talking about, so I did a little googling.

In Keep Going, I have a chapter called, “ Forget the noun, do the verb,” and after seeing it on the poster, a reader asked if it was inspired by Stephen Fry. “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.“The word ‘love’ is most often defined as a noun, yet all the more astute theorists of love acknowledge that we would all love better if we used it as a verb.

We’ve selected 10 all-time best quotes to help you change your perspective on time and make the most out of your days. Whether the FOMO makes your anxiety go through the roof or you just struggle with keeping up with your daily to-do list - the world’s greatest minds have already been there.

In the end: Find the time quote that speaks to you.

Time quotes on waiting for the perfect moment.

“Time will not slow down when something unpleasant lies ahead.” - Harry Potter It’s never too late to do something.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry It’s only pleasant because it isn’t here.” - Finley Peter Dunne “The past always looks better than it was. “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” - William Shakespeare That’s why it’s called the present.” - Bil Keane “Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift.

“ ‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.” - Timothy Ferriss “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” - Robert H. “Time is what we want most but what we use worst.” - William Penn “We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.” - John F. “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” - Marthe Troly-Curtin

This is not who we are