We're all familiar with the Latin phrase Carpe Diem – seize the day! It’s the stuff of motivational speeches and the epitome of living life to the fullest. Many of us fail to do this and can be left feeling like we’ve missed out on experiences or not fulfilled our potential,
To grasp every single opportunity that crosses our path and live like there’s no tomorrow sounds exciting, but we wouldn’t necessarily advocate living with a literal carpe diem mentality - it isn’t particularly compatible with the reality of normal life. We have jobs to go to, bills to pay, children to raise, and responsibilities to uphold. Dropping everything to chase an adventure may sound like living the dream, but could actually cause stress and pressure, and may have a negative impact on at least some of those around us.
It's also the case that a steady and stable routine can be incredibly helpful in maintaining a manageable balance in life. Having a predictable structure provides a foundation to build our lives upon, and can help reduce stress and anxiety, and allows us to keep a handle on things that could otherwise threaten to overwhelm us.
However, the essence of the idea of carpe diem is a positive thing that can actually bring huge benefits to our overall wellbeing, and isn’t something we should deny ourselves – but there are ways to embrace this mindset without uprooting everything in our lives.
It’s all about focusing on the present moment, being more in touch with our senses and our surroundings, shedding the distractions and noise of everyday life, and immersing ourselves in our experiences.
Practise mindfulness - tuning into the here and now can help you learn the habit of finding joy in the small and beautiful things in life;
Focus on the positive – keeping your mind on the good things in life can help liberate you from spending time and energy on the negative, and can open you up new opportunities;
Acknowledge your emotions – engaging fully with the present moment can help you become more self-aware, which can build resilience and inner strength, and can reduce anxiety and stress;
Be grateful – appreciating the value of what we have instead of lamenting what we don’t gives us perspective and allows us to focus on the good
It might not be practical to leave our lives behind to embark on an epic quest, but if we take the time to embrace the moment, to seize the opportunity of each day to truly be present and engaged, we can learn to appreciate the beauty around us and live a more meaningful and fulfilling life. Carpe Diem!
Photo by Martin Neuhold on Unsplash