Showing posts with label seize. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seize. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Carpe Diem Again

#RepeatWeek


"Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." - John Keating

Carpe Diem, an interesting phrase generally meaning "seize the day." It comes from a Latin poem written by Horace that has become sort of a statement of principle for many people.

It is generally translated as "seize the day" and literally it means "to pick, pluck, pluck off, cull, crop, or gather", but Publius Ovidius Naso (better known as Ovid) used it to mean, "To enjoy, seize, use, make use of".

In Horace's poem, the long version is "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero", meaning to "Seize the Day, putting as little trust as possible in the future." His intent was to say that our future is uncertain and we should limit our hope's to a shorter future. In some respects he was speaking to people and business leaders who think short term goals or just the next quarter, so "drink one's wine."

In modern culture I would argue the quote describes its use best. "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary", meaning to use each and every day to do something great.

Do not waste a single day waiting for the next; choose now, not later.

Move life forward, find your dreams, have a great and 'extraordinary' life.

The future exists but you have to move towards it. To sit idle and allow the future to find you means it will only find you in the same place, sitting idle.

You have the ability to impact your own future.

You can impact your own future.

Seize the day, folks. Make your lives extraordinary.

Stay inspired my friends.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Seize Your Fear

"A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths." ~Stephen Wright

Each of us are different in what concerns or bothers us. There are those that share some of those concerns and others that tend to be out on the edge. But any of those things we are afraid of can be overcome. Even being afraid of widths!

Some overcome these obstacles quickly and others take years to overtake them. Myself, I have signed up for swimming lessons. Yes, at this age I am working to overcome my fear of water. To be more precise, my fear of drowning.

I have reached the point where I have decided that this fear will not be my undoing. You can reach the same point for your fear. All it takes is deciding within yourself to not let the fear rule your day.

My own fear has deprived me of experiences with my sons while they were growing up. My fear has deprived me of adventure with friends. My fear has had it's day and now it's over. I am reclaiming my life from that fear.

You do not deserve to let fear rule your life. Overcome your fear and let your life blossom into it's greatest potential. Carpe diem or better yet, carpe vereor, "seize the fear."