From On Old Age by Cicero:
Nor, again, do I now miss the bodily strength of a young man … any more than as a young man I missed the strength of a bull or an elephant. You should use what you have, and whatever you may chance to be doing, do it with all your might.
Related post: Gutenberg + Readability
Thanks for linking to that! As a relatively new parent, it was worth it if only for the last line. (Will have to read the whole thing slower at a later point.)
I wrote something about this idea a few years ago:
Turn your weaknesses into strengths
http://lemire.me/blog/archives/2009/01/19/turn-your-weaknesses-into-strengths/
Nearly a millennium before Cicero, Solomon said something similar.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” Ecclesiastes 9:10
Thanks, John!
Probably the thing I miss the most from youth is the recovery time from injury. Of course old age has a way of making that less necessary.
For a somewhat contrary point of view: http://www.jacklondons.net/apieceofsteak.html