Quote of the day by Henry David Thoreau: ‘You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and…’

Henry David Thoreau’s quote of the day, “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment…” explains why we shouldn’t wait for something to be good before we start. The American philosopher’s writings remind us that the life we keep trying to reach is not separate from the one that is already happening. This is our time, and it deserves our focus.

Today’s quote was published in Thoreau's Journal on April 24, 1859 and further goes on like, ‘Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.’

What we can learn from Henry David Thoreau’s quote in real life

It is all too easy for us to concentrate on the future to such an extent that the present moment is forgotten entirely. Without anything to do, our subconscious mind often ponders over our next job, relationship, city or version of ourselves. Preparing for the future is necessary, but as per Thoreau, being in the future all the time can lead to perceiving the present as merely a step to get through.

“Other land” of Thoreau is precisely such ideal place which we dream about. The idea is straightforward: no matter how many destinations we still have to reach, nothing can take the place of the present life.

“To launch yourself on every wave” is to be part of the process. Not every day is exciting, but each one of them gains its meaning when we live our lives.

Other quotes by Henry David Thoreau

Below are some of the most notable quotes from the author of Civil Disobedience:

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”

“I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”

“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”

About Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American philosopher, poet, environmental scientist and political activist. His major work of 1854, Walden, combined these diverse interests and looked at the practical problems of being human.

Thoreau’s intellectual sources were Classical Greek and Roman philosophy, Asian scriptures and wisdom literature and modern thinkers like Descartes, Locke, Emerson, Coleridge and the German Idealists. He also took a keen interest in the natural sciences, conversing with prominent naturalists and reading the writings of Humboldt and Darwin.