A lord asked Takuan, a Zen teacher, to suggest how he might pass the time. He felt his days very long attending his office and sitting stiffly to receive the homage of others.
Takuan wrote eight Chinese characters and gave them to the man:
Not twice this day
Inch time foot gem.
(This day will not come again.
Each minute is worth a priceless gem.)
Courtesy https://ashidakim.com
Takuan Sōhō was a Japanese Buddhist prelate during the Sengoku and early Edo periods of Japanese history. He was a major figure in the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.