The proverb “Seize the day (moment)" was coined by the Roman poet Horace (circa 20 B.C.) who wrote in The Odes: “Carpe Diem, quam minimum credula postero." (“Seize the day, put no trust in the morrow.") Now it’s used more often in the sense “take charge" … take advantage of the opportunity ... don’t procrastinate … DO ‘IT’ NOW!



What IT? Well ‘IT’ could be putting together your network, firing your boss and starting a home-based business, building a huge MLM downline, or going all out in terms of marketing yourself. Or improving your communication skills, working on your sense of humor, celebrating your relationship with yourself and/or your ‘significant other’.

Or ‘IT’ could be any of the ideas, plans, projects you are currently working on, or contemplating starting. Like renovating the house, expanding the garden, learning how to parachute jump, completing a master’s degree, writing a book or a play, taking a sabbatical to travel around the world, retiring so you can build that sailboat or do some volunteer work … Whatever ‘IT’ is, I want to encourage you to go ahead and follow the advice of the Nike® people: JUST DO IT!

Work at ‘IT’ boldly, daringly, and DO ‘IT’!

One of the problems that’s been plaguing society since the dawn of civilization (and it’s a biggie) is that there are a LOT of people out there—not you of course, but I’m sure you know some—who are not crazy about ‘working’ to improve their circumstances, who prefer to sit and ‘wish’ things were different, better … “It is useless to indulge in wishful thinking" is the message of the following two old proverbs: “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride", and “If a pig had wings, it could fly."

Wise observations. So is this more modern one by Alexander Woolcott: “Too many people spend half their time wishing for things they could have IF they didn’t spend half their time wishing."

Coming back to the title of this article, another big problem these days is the illusion of ‘security’. Helen Keller—who had all the reasons in the world to ‘stay put’ and ‘fly low’—made this apropos observation: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing ... Security is mostly a superstition. [A MYTH!!!] It does not exist in nature."

I recently heard a speaker share this with her audience in an attempt to urge them not to settle for their lot in life:

“It’s only the view from where you sit that makes you feel defeat.

Life is full, with many aisles, so why don’t you change your seat?"

I think that’s a good start … if you absolutely, decidedly want to watch the ‘happening’ from one of the seats. But why not come down ‘on the field’ instead and experience life firsthand? Here are some of Les Brown’s (adapted) words on this topic (from one of his ‘kick-ass’ seminars):

“Here’s a quiet secret most people don’t know, or think about: You can’t get out of life alive. Hello! You can die in the bleachers (as a life ‘spectator’) or you can die on the field (as a life ‘participant’). But you won’t get out of this stadium called ‘LIFE’ alive. So you might as well come down on the field and have some fun while you’re here!"

Have fun, take risks, seize opportunities, be bold, dare to live … to the max! MAKE YOUR LIFE AN ADVENTURE. It was G.K. Chesterton who said: “Adventure is the Champagne of life." To which author and speaker emeritus Sam Horn added, “Drink up!"

In his best seller What Color Is Your Parachute, Richard N. Bolles wrote “One of the saddest lines in the world is, ‘Oh come now—be realistic.’" I agree with Mr. Bolles, and history is our witness. The best parts of this world were fashioned by those who DARED to look hard at their wishes and gave them horses to ride.

I want to close* with two recommendations—things I practice myself daily (I don’t subscribe to the idea of ‘Do as I say, not as I do…’):

ONE: ASK MORE FROM LIFE!

Have you ever noticed how people at an all-you-can-eat buffet will fill their plates until they overflow? Even though they can go back as often as they want. And yet, in the case of life, where they have only one crack at it, they go to the ‘table’ with a pillbox for food and a thimble for drinks.

Philosopher Jim Rohn likes to point out that “Life is like the ocean—there’s plenty. Success is NOT in short supply. It isn’t rationed so that when your turn comes they already gave it all away. The problem is that most people go to this ocean of opportunity with a teaspoon. In view of the size of the ocean, may I suggest that you trade in your teaspoon for something bigger?"

I like Jim’s ‘ocean’ analogy. Here’s another one of mine. Why not think of LIFE as a BIG tree, full of all kinds of fruit—opportunities—free for the picking. All you have to do is show up, pick and carry. But you can only make one trip. My question to you is, “How will you do it? Will you show up with a basket or perhaps a wheelbarrow—like the 97% of the people who settle for ‘good enough’? Or will you back up an eighteen wheeler equipped with a cherry-picker and load it to capacity?"

TWO: CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

As someone once pointed out, “If the going gets easy, you may be going downhill." You’re only going to make one trip on this road called Life; do you want it to be ‘downhill?

Be bold. Dare. Find a challenging task to accomplish, something big to achieve. It’s been done before. YOU can do it!—if you keep in front of you this piece of advice from H. Jackson Brown:

“When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail.

If you’re going after Moby Dick, take along the Tartar sauce.’

[*You can read the full article (2700 words) at the link below]