How You Can Seize the Day... Carpe Diem Style!

In case you didn’t know, the meaning behind Carpe Diem is to seize the day. It was said by a man named Horace, a Latin Lyric Poet, in his poem Odes. The most frequent themes of Odes and Epistles was love, friendship, philosophy, and the art of poetry.

You may be thinking to yourself, “How can I seize the day?” No worries, we came up with eight different ways you can seize your day!

1. Live in the Present

It’s important that you don’t spend your days looking back at old memories that bring you down. You were already given a chance to live in the past, today is not the time to do that anymore.

Right now, you’re missing out on creating new memories and amazing moments with the people who are there with you in the present since you keep traveling back to the past.

Step out of the bubble you have put yourself in, take a deep breath, and feel this moment. Think about what could make this moment better and go out there and do it!

2. Choose Love

How long has it been since you took a moment and thought about someone else’s happiness? You can’t seize the day if you are stuck living in a ‘me world.’

From this day forward, take time each day to spread love. This love can be spread throughout your household family, strangers, or your friends. Invest in listening to what other people may need. Even if communication isn’t your best quality, sometimes all they need is a listening ear.

Make sure the people around you feel valued, loved, and special. Don’t let the irrational fear of letting people know you care! They need it, you need it, the world needs it.

3. Build Yourself Up

When you become the person you want to be, you don’t clone yourself to be someone else. You, instead, take the traits you saw as best in the people you admire the most and rebuilt yourself with those qualities.

When you learn how to seize each day, you will also learn how to be your best self! Learn some new skills that make you happy, meet new people, or read a book that will help you on this 2.0 journey of yourself.

The new you may be a work in progress but the person you can become will be out of this world.

4. Face your Fears

Before we jump into number four, we need to clear the air. Facing your fears doesn’t mean that something bad is going to happen. It most likely means nothing good or bad will happen.

In fact, it will be a neutral event that you will soon realize, there was no reason to fear it in the first place! Don’t let the fear control you. Control it.

A big part of seizing the day is being able to push past the barriers you have built around your mental walls to keep you safe.

5. Go out in Nature.

It wouldn’t be possible to seize the day from the comfortable confines of your living room couch!

Nope, it’s time to get out of bed and explore!

Stepping out into nature is an easy way to be stress free. Map out where the closest lake or river is. Stand beside it and just breath in. The fresh air may seem simple, but it is one of the simple thing life offers that make living so special. Like the sound of waves, the munching of a squirrel above you in a tree, the magical song of the wind as it brushes by you.

Step outside and just observe the world that is living and thriving around you.

6. Play a Little

Life needs to be more about play and less about work. Of course you still need a job so you have enough money to live, so work will always be a part of your life. With that being said it should not be your main focus.

The world is a huge place filled with places that need discovering. You have friends who want to check out a new painting class down the street. You have family members who asked you to meet them at a local activity. These are the little moments you will live for.

Think of the things that make you happiest and then incorporate them into your life.

7. Let go of Negativity

The best way to seize the day is to have one simple attitude shift. When you are holding in anger, sadness, and frustration it is impossible to make each day count. Yes, negative moments help us to appreciate the positives more but there are so many things around us that we should be able to cherish. Things we may not notice before it’s too late. If you want to live by the philosophy of Carpe Diem, you need to let go of all the pain and hurt that you carry. Focus more on the positive things in your life and what you are grateful for. Humans don’t make the best decisions. They also tend to do the wrong things, but don’t let that hate leave an impression on you. Instead exhale it all and inhale the love you receive to take its place.

8. Dream BIG.

Your dreams are endless. As long as you set your mind to it, you can achieve anything.

If you want to learn a new skill, sign up for lessons. You can start a new career, fall in love, get married, or travel.

The person you learn to become, this 2.0 version of you, and the life you create is all up to you.

This life is your story to write. Make sure it’s captivating, filled with challenges that you overcome, love, and happiness. Don’t forget to smile, or laugh. Chase after your fears instead of letting them hold you back.

End your story with a happily ever after only you could have created.

We can’t wait to see how you seize the day.