Savoring the moment
Savoring moments in time
By Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin
Seizing moments
"Wake up and live"
― Bob Marley
The founding father of Reggae music made a compelling exhortation, one which we should
answer to with as few questions as possible.
That's because Marley knew exactly what Carpe Diem entailed. He seized the moment with certainty, harvesting the musical and spiritual rewards of Reggae.
Marley himself reminds me of a former student of mine, a young Bob Marley fan who carried
a knapsack embossed with his images, be it a badge or a key ring with his photo. He was a young man who was the life of every classroom party and enjoyed life to its fullest, never allowing life's mundane challenges of stress or homework to faze him.
We should take our cues from the great Reggae master and this youth. Although this can be little trite, they remind us to seize the day in spite of it being as busy as it is.
Grab moments and reach out to others
The origins of the word Carpe Diem
The idea of saying Carpe Diem first gained popularity in 23 BC when the great poet Horace wrote it in the Odes. Literally translated, it means to seize the day without any concern about what tomorrow may bring.
The ancient Romans certainly behaved this way, sometimes behaving quite orgiastically. While we will not want to take the idea of enjoying life to the fullest to such extremes, we should certainly aim to enjoy the moment. as far as we can.
Robin Williams: Carpe Diem in Dead Poet's Society
Why we should seize the moment
As the farmer does, harvesting the meaningful moments of life should be our aim.
After all, we have limited chances to do the things we love. We spend most of our time in the pursuit of survival, forgetting to seize the chances we have to do the things we truly want to and put ourselves first.
Grabbing moments to do what we really wish to keeps us motivated. We tend to keep our noses
to the grindstone when we are really passionate about what we do.
Seizing the moment is usually done in times of boldness and confidence. Just saying the words
"Carpe Diem" would build your self-esteem.
These same words, and living in the moment, stimulates you to give more of your best. We do what we do well when we stop to appreciate its meaning.
Taking hold of the beautiful chances each day brings equates happiness and peace of mind.
You seize moments by:
- Living life with a purpose
- Living life now
- Making bold decisions
- We give the best of ourselves
- When we are honest with ourselves
- When we don't feel shortchanged in life.
- When we are fully present
- When we stop making excuses not to live life the way we should.
How to seize the moment
Life's harvest is best reaped when we live life with a purpose. Taking just a little bit of time to think about what we do and it's motivations behind our actions somehow makes life a little fuller.
A harvest is best reaped, and the moment best seized, when we make the decision to live life now. It is best lived when we stop making excuses for ourselves and, as Nike adverts proudly
say, Just Do it.
A great moment is lived when we are bold. We reap great harvests and get the most out of life when we are courageous enough to live in a moment despite its difficulties anyway.
We reap the greatest reward when we give the best of ourselves, dong the things we love to in the moment. This is when we are fully present and alive, living our passions, our dreams, there and then.
When we are honest with ourselves and are who we are, we live moments best and get the most out of life.
We can't get the best out of moments or harvest the most if we constantly feel short changed In life, hurt by past misgivings or victimized, always wishing that we have what could have been.
Saying Carpe Diem and reaping a good harvest means letting things go.
The harvest is reaped in the moment.
Ways to live in the moment
Granted, its idealistic and sometimes very hazy. A little idealism, though, is at the heart of the moment and makes life just a little bit better to live.
And there are many ways to say Carpe Diem, seize the harvest and the day.
Be decisive. Make up your mind to do something on a certain day and just get it done.
We all have many things on our to do lists. Checking something off that list instead of leaving it on the back burner can help us live in the moment and reap a few nice rewards from life.
Those can be reaped without doing anything drastic or dramatic. The moment can be enjoyed when we decide to indulge in simple, everyday pleasures of life. We can savor good harvests when we choose to do things that we're afraid to normally, or are out of the ordinary for us. Even listening to our favorite songs can help us to savor moments and garner the harvests of simplicity.
Taking the time to declutter and simply shift things about in your home or work environment may take a little work, but can free the mind from the stress of routine and allow us to savor moments.
Taking the time to do something with loved ones and actually listening to them for a change can help us savor moments and reap the rewards of better relationships.
Gratitude and the ability to cherish moments go hand in hand. Write a gratitude list. When we are more conscious about the things we love, we savor them, the moment and harvest emotional crops too.
The Carpe Diem Poll
Poem : The Harvest
All farmers know that the best crops are harvested when the moment is seized.
Crops
Fertile
With eye
On sown seeds
Firmly tossed
On ground
The second
It's stepped
Upon
Simple
Flick
Of the wrist
Shift
of rows
And
Ears
Of corn
Listening
To truths
Whispered.
Conclusion
Moments can be lived, and Carpe Diem said, if not always, at least once in a while.
Original work by Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin All rights reserved
Other poetry hubs by Michelle Liew
- The reasons why we should write poetry:an acrostic p...
On the benefits of writing poetry, some wonderful poets and an acrostic poem for National Poetry Month - The history of Chinese music, the Chinese Orchestra ...
On Chinese music, chinese musical instruments and the Chinese Orchestra. - The wonderful health benefits of the chiku fruit
All about the the Chiku Fruit - Developing the undervalued art of true empathy
On developing empathy in ourselves and haiku on empathy. - Ways to make literature learning exciting for your o...
Ways to make literature learning exciting for your older child:strategies for teachers and parents - Why we should experience and value the many colors o...
What happens when we live a life without color? - What makes a person beautiful:nurturing beauty's tru...
On what makes a person truly beautiful - Appreciating the rustic charm of the Singaporean co...
Blurb: On coffee shops in Singapore and a little sonnet. - The benefits of chocolate, myths and a poem
On the benefits of chocolate, why we love chocolate, a few chocolate myths and an epulaeryu poem. - The dangers of disrespect and overcoming its consequ...
On the dangers of disrespect, coming out of its darkness and a trillinea poem.
Comments
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on March 18, 2014:
Thanks, Eddy.
Eiddwen from Wales on March 15, 2014:
Brilliant Michelle and voted up for sure.
Eddy.
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 26, 2014:
Hi Harisprasad! Thanks for the lovely comment! Yes, we have to be there, and appreciate it fully. Thanks for sharing!
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 26, 2014:
Thanks, Jhamann!
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 25, 2014:
Thanks, avian novice!
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 25, 2014:
Thanks, DDE!
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 25, 2014:
Thanks, Joelle!
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 25, 2014:
Thanks, Vicki!
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 25, 2014:
You make great points, Denise! So apt. When you have breaks in between, it makes things easier!
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 25, 2014:
Thank you!
Jamie Lee Hamann from Reno NV on February 24, 2014:
Beautiful writing and poetry with a great message. Thank you for this incredible hub. Jamie
Harish Mamgain from New Delhi , India on February 24, 2014:
midget38, so useful is this stuff that I wish it to be read by billions of people in order to enjoy the precious moments of life before we pack up. It is true when we are fully present in the moment without any traces of the past and worry of future, we have all the potential to savor it to the maximum. Thanks, my friend. All happiness and much peace !
Deb Hirt from Stillwater, OK on February 23, 2014:
You sure said it--it is the simplest of things, to seize the moment. We can spare that much time, can't we?
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 23, 2014:
Kerlund, I think the answer to that will be.....many!
kerlund74 from Sweden on February 23, 2014:
Midget38; yes, that's an interesting question;)
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 23, 2014:
Thanks, Ruchira.
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 23, 2014:
Thanks, Eddy!
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 23, 2014:
Kerlund...then you'll have to ask, who's going to thank you if you do?
Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on February 22, 2014:
Savoring the moment is a special hub indeed time is worth while if one looks at life with great positivism.
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 22, 2014:
Thanks, Bill!
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 22, 2014:
YOLO indeed, Linda!
kidscrafts from Ottawa, Canada on February 21, 2014:
Great hub, Michelle! We should take time to live and have no regrets! I consider that just being alive on Earth is quite a gift... and we should savor and be thankful for every day! Nice philosophy! Thanks for sharing!
I love your picture with the hand with "TIME" written and all the little clocks! So symbolic :-)
Have a nice weekend!
Victoria Lynn from Arkansas, USA on February 21, 2014:
Great message. So true!
Denise W Anderson from Bismarck, North Dakota on February 21, 2014:
I think that the best way for me to live in the moment is to break the tasks I am facing into small time intervals. That keeps me from looking too far ahead, or keeping a hold of what I have left behind. In between each time interval, I do something that I enjoy, such as reading, learning, or writing. If I don't do this, the days seem to go by so quickly, and with life's responsibilities, there is no time to enjoy!
Linda Bilyeu from Orlando, FL on February 21, 2014:
YOLO - You Only Live Once so you might as well enjoy it while you can :)
manatita44 from london on February 21, 2014:
Reminding us to savour the moment and for BM's little bit of profound philosophy.
Wonderful article. God bless your wise and loving heart.
Suzie from Carson City on February 21, 2014:
Wonderful & inspiring as always....Loved the movie Dead Poet's Society! Living in the moment....a precious philosophy! UP++tweeted
Ruchira from United States on February 21, 2014:
beautiful michelle
such an inspiring post...loved it!
sharing it across!
Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on February 21, 2014:
We had better savor the moment before we have no more moments to savor. :) Great message, Michele!
Eiddwen from Wales on February 21, 2014:
A very interesting and wonderful hub Michelle.
Voting up and sharing.
Eddy.
kerlund74 from Sweden on February 21, 2014:
A great reminder, thank you! Well written and very important hub:) I have lately start to ask myself why I should not do whatever I want, who's going to thank me for not doing it?
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 21, 2014:
Thanks, Janet!
Janet Giessl from Georgia country on February 20, 2014:
Yes, we should really live in the moment because life is so short. Thank you for sharing this great reminder. I love this well-written and interesting hub and the beautiful poem.
Michelle Liew (author) from Singapore on February 20, 2014:
Carpe Diem!
