Don't Seize the Day
Jan 24, 2022
Like many, I was introduced to the concept of carpe diem by Robin Williams in his role as an inspiring teacher in the movie The Dead Poets Society. Actually, when the movie came out, I was trying very hard to be that kind of teacher at a small private school in New England.
Carpe diem, which comes from the Roman poet Horace's Odes, is often translated as "seize the day." However, a more literal translation is "pluck the day [as it is ripe]." My take is that Horace is encouraging us to enjoy the moment while we can.
While time flies (or tempus fugit, as Horace would say), a day is quite long and made up of many moments. A better approach to enjoying the day might be to seize (or pluck) the moment (carpe punctum, as Horace, would say).
Enjoying (and employing) the moment is an exercise in awareness, gratitude, presence, and surrender. Leveraging these virtues is a heavy lift for an entire day but far easier to exercise from moment to moment.
Having trouble consistently seizing the day? What happens if you pluck the moment instead? Ready? Carpe punctum!
Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose.
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