Living in the Moment
Carpe Diem, goes the phrase.
Literally translated “Seize the Day” from Latin, I first became familiar with the term from the film Dead Poets Society.
While the film had a depressing twist, I am coming to understand more and more the need to take hold of the moments in our lives.
It seems like just yesterday that my son was born. I remember changing that first poopie diaper as though the smell still lingers in the air.
He is now eighteen and off to college.
Can someone tell me precisely WHEN that happened?
Another birthday, another summer, another Christmas and another new year.
“Where did that year go? Here’s to this year…”
“Can you believe it is already fall?”
“Christmas decorations pop up earlier every year, don’t they?”
The minutes, hours and days can drag, especially if we are faced with major challenges. But the years… well, they fly by.
I recently considered what it means to “live in the moment.”
It seems the more we try to hold on to moments, the more likely they are to slip from our grasp.
Have you ever had an experience where you said, “I wish I could bottle this moment”?
Of course, you can’t bottle a moment. You can take a photo to attempt to capture it. But a photo is really just a memory of a moment. It isn’t the moment itself.
Maybe the moments aren’t meant to be bottled. Perhaps the moment is just to be enjoyed and accepted for what it is.
It’s the rush you get on a roller coaster when it does the corkscrew turn. You don’t want to live in the corkscrew, but when you are smack-dab in the 360 degree roll you know you are there. And then it is gone. However, the grin on our face remains for a time.
It’s the laughter of your toddler as you playfully toss them in the air. The giggles, the smiles and the warmth of those moments contain unbridled joy.
It’s the sunset over the mountains or the beach. I find God creating living masterpieces on the fly frame some of the greatest moments of them all.
And yet, those moments all go by. And then they are gone.
Trying to hold on to moments is like trying to hold sand in your hands. It slips through your fingers and you are left with just a few grains.
The harder we grasp, the less we can carry.
This leads me to believe that its not about recognizing the moments. It’s about living them.
When you are on the roller coaster, playing with your child or enjoying God’s creation, the moment is happening. You ARE living in the moment. And there’s no need to bottle it, because you are there.
It doesn’t take a conscious effort to live in the moment. It just takes a willingness to live, to experience and to breath in and out.
Life is short, my friends. Don’t wait to try that thing you have always wanted to do. Don’t put off telling someone you love them. Don’t miss out on the moments.
Today is packed with moments just waiting to happen.
Carpe diem.
The comment section below is your opportunity to capture a moment. How are you feeling right now? Happy? Sad? Angry? Inspired? Afraid? Elated? Let it flow…
Yeah.. time really flies. If there’s a time for anything to happen, this is it.
Great thoughts, Joel. And I completely agree. My first son is in his 3rd year of collge and we’re now in the process of college applications for our 2nd son. I’ve been reflecting on similar thoughts as you. Currently working on a blog post and will be sharing it soon talking about significant influence. Will keep you posted.
Thanks, Joel.
Yeah, I say it’s about letting go a little. Don’t overwallow about the past. Don’t overplan the future. Let go a little.
Jemal.
Joel,
Thanks for the reminder!
I remember when my daughter got married. All that I could think about was where the 25 years had gone. There was so much of her growing up that I missed because I was working out of town.
Enjoy every moment that you have with your family and friends.
Lewis
Weel Joel here I am siezing the day and making a comment. It is so true that the moments you are alive seem to last ages even if in reality it is just minutes. I think it is all the daft racing around we do that makes the years fly by, we don’t get the chance to live in the moment often enough.
I once met a government official turned bull-rider, who had broken nearly every bone in his body. When I probed (aghast) as to WHY he would still pursue such a ‘sport’, he replied, “when trying to stay atop a 2000 pound beast it takes EVERYTHING I have- and I never feel more alive than then.” Wow!I get that.
For some, like him, the threshold for thrill and aliveness is really high (or maybe that’s what it took to shake off the shackles of bureaucracy).
But those magical moments of what become the ‘eternal now’ can also occur, as you mentioned Joel, in slivers of moments….a recognition, a snatched look or smell, absorbing a sunrise or a smile, feeling pride or love. All it takes is engagement and connection.
Thanks for your wonderful reminder of ‘what it’s all about’.And let me just take a moment to Appreciate you now!
“Oh Captain my Captain….”
Gratuitous opportunity to make a quote from my favorite movie….thanks Joel for all you do.
When a person realizes that God is an infinite being that is continuously recreating the entire universe from scratch and they search to experience God, they live anew every moment.
A person can accomplish this if they simply get in to the habit of talking with God in their own words, mouth loud, in a private secluded place. By talking on a regular basis with God, a person will witness miracles that transcend the realm of normal.
Because in all truth, nothing else exists besides God, throughout the entire universe. And nothing happens on its own! No one touches what belongs to someone else, without the express permission of Heaven, for everything is decreed from above and there are absolutely NO coincidences in this world, whatsoever.
And despite the fact that people do not see this, or are even aware of this, but nevertheless this is the truth. Because anyone who believes in an infinite Creator, with infinite powers, and infinite control, must concede that nothing happens on its own and everything happens under the watchful eye of an Infinite Being that oversees all actions that take place in this world, because the concept of “too much” or “too difficult” is not applicable to an infinite Being.
Imagine the joy of talking with the greatest being in the entire universe who wants to help each of His creations simply for being asked.
You can do it!
You can ask or talk about anything that’s troubling you or upsetting you. And I will even go so far that if you are persistent enough, you will ultimately arrive at the results you sought if you simply endure and have enough patience, and apply enough time to pray for that which your heart truly wants.
I challenge you to try!
Simply believe when you are talking to God, that you are completely surrounded by the presence of God, who is everywhere, and then start talking to Him in your own words. What you feel in your heart is what you want to express in to words.
When a person talks to God, they do “bottle” the moment. That’s because the only one who is eternal, is God. And each time a person thinks of God or talks to God, they attach that part of their life that God created, back to God, and consequently, they live forever.
Hello Joel,
Great post. I believe no one can truly “seize the day” at best we can “seize the moment”. It is all about awareness and staying in the now or the present moment. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and now is a gift. That is why they call it the “present”.
If you can be in the present or your gift for one moment then you can you can repeat it all day long. The other factor is to be content. You don’t need to enjoy every moment but try to be grateful and content with all that comes into your life. If you do this then each moment will have significance for you and you can truly seize it and move with grace and awareness to the next moment.
Thank you
The time has come…
the time has come
to break all my promises
tear apart all chains
and cast away all advice
disassemble the heavens
link by link
and break at once
all lovers’ ties
with the sword of death
put cotton inside
both my ears
and close them to
all words of wisdom
crash the door and
enter the chamber
where all sweet
things are hidden
how long can i
beg and bargain
for the things of this world
while love is waiting
how long before
i can rise beyond
how i am and
what i am
— Jalal al-Din Rumi
Joel – Thanks a million, this is a high impact post for me. I’m now feeling inspired to be present, in the moment and enjoy my 6 year old autistic son, wife and close family. The wife has been trying to keep me present for a long time, when I have been rapped up in getting stuff done for my own selfish need to have, be and do more from an ego standpoint. She is the major breadwinner in the family and just rang me to tell me her pension fund is going to buy two more commercial properties – I have been striving to earn more than the $60k a year, make up for lost opportunities through bad past choices and loose 100ib of fat… me me me! I am now going to focus on, appreciate and be gratefull for what we I / we have, are and do. I have love and joy right in the here and now if I just live in the moment, appreciate it, be grateful and sieze each day for what really matters and means most to me – family, the natural world and spirituality, not things and material wealth.
Thanks so much and God Bless you for this synchronicity – it means more to me than you could know.
Kevin :0)
Thank You. I honestly needed this message today. I’ve been running amok and not truly living in the moment. Thanks for making me wake up.
I call the moment a memory because that is all it is. The moment you think of it, it is already gone but it is a memory. It was said to take from the past only that which is good and build on it in the future.
Your moments and future moments are mostly what you build on memories. they’re that fleeting. The key is to build only on the positive and not on the negative… with gratitude because that moment was given to you whether you wanted it or not. so make the most of it. You only get so many…
Joel…you’re thinking like a Budhist….that’s alright.
So true Joel. This moment is the only moment and being present strips away the mind and the drama it creates. You can miss life if you don’t stay in the present. It’s a gift! (PRESENT) Good insight, Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Joel. This week my son returns on leave from Afganistan and two thoughts hit me hard: 1. Where did the days go when I would tickle my son until he nearly peed?
2. Why does it hurt so much to hear “Cats in the Craddle” by Jim Crochy ( sorry Jim if I misspelled your name). Even though I have really worked hard to put my family before my job.
Thank you Joel for reminding me to be in the moment and not spend all my time worrying about the next one.
A well worded post with an easy to follow line of thought.
Believe and trust in God,s plan. Keep the ones you love close, we do not know ho much time we have here on earth.
Thanks
Mike
Thank you Ron Mathews for the 11th Century poem by Rumi(correct?).
I love the phrase ‘carpe diem’ but my wife and I deliberately mis-translate it as ‘seize the fish’. It’s a little bit of fun that not everyone gets. (Brits huh, what are they like?)
I am feeling completely overwhelmed by all the possibilities available. I’m not saying this as some kind of lip service to abundance… I mean literally there are limitless possibilities in the world we live in… I have at least 1 multi-million dollar idea every day, and have learned that the idea is like .00001% of actually making the things happen in life…
Isn’t that amazing?
Right now, I’m overwhelmed by the possibilities and excited by the reality that achieving all I can be raises others around me to do the same.
Jonathan
Thanks for the note of encouragement to believe in one’s self and above all to believe and depend on the one eternal God. In these tough days only our FAITH will pull us through.
My husband and I have a long-standing habit of asking each other in the evening, “What was best for you today?” This focuses us on the sweetest moments.
“Carpe Diem, goes the phrase. Literally translated “Seize the Day” from Latin,…”
And I always thought it meant “Seize the carp” 🙂 Also, “Cats in the Cradle” was a Harry Chapin song, not Jim Croce. Neither one of these talented songwriters is with us anymore. Actually, this fits in well with the blog post, in a way. If you have a performer that you’ve always wanted to see in person but have never done so, buy a ticket the next time they come to your area. A lot of talented songwriters are getting older, now, so who knows how many opportunities you’ll have to see a favorite one. The way some of these people abused their bodies over the years, it’s a wonder they’ve made it this far.
Another inspirational post Joel. Thanks.
I can absolutely relate. I use Carpe Diem in my signature line and it is a way of life for me. My daughter is 14 and her first home coming dance was a couple of weeks ago. I wondered “where did my little princess go?” My little princess should not be wearing a strapless dress 🙂 You see when she showed it to me weeks ago she was wearing her bra and I did not realize it was strapless. Well it passed my wife’s inspection so it was OK I guess.
Every moment counts. We have a standing father daughter date the first Friday each month and since her social calender was full she suggested we do it tonight instead. Can’t wait. So I encourage everyone to Carpe Diem and make good memories and then do it again tomorrow. Make it a great weekend all.
Hiya Joel, some excellent info, it takes some people a lifetime before they realise that it’s too late to live for the moment. They, as I used to do, always seem to be looking forward to the next “event” – never savouring what they have at this moment in time. So much enjoyment can be gleaned from the simplest of things that surround us.
Stu
Beautiful post! I feel joyful by it.
If we try to bottle the moments, it would be wanting to live in the future a little and projecting you will want to live in the past when the future comes. LOL
Take care and keep enjoying the moment and growing from each second.
You’re welcome. And you are correct, it is a poem by Rumi.
Thank you for the note on facebook to come read the rest of the story. This is a great reminder that the moment is now. It seems that the older I get, the faster time goes by. Hidatsa come around faster and even the weeks fly by at a dizzying pace.
Thank you for the reminder to live each moment to it’s fullest.
Clay
And you can use some of those moments in life reading a blog post and commenting on it 🙂 Is that clever use of ones time? Who knows. But still it is a choice of how to use the time and the moments. Thank you for awakening some thoughts Joel!
Hi Joel,
Now this is coincidence, today 23 rd October my son James turns 19 and you won’t believe this, but my physical address: hse no * Carpe Diem, Puttick rd Sundowner, Johannesburg South Africa.
Great post and and also very personal too me as well, and congratulations to you and your family.
Cheers!
Herman
Joel,
Yep that time goes by alot faster than loosing weight! I understand you are doing an excellent job! Ok, I’ve lost 5 lbs since we’ve started this journey. How quick are lives go by,just think when you were 19 you wanted to be 21, then it all goes by! Hope your enjoying your weekend!
Best Regards,
Ramona
http://www.tissotweet.com
Live in the moment, and let life happen naturally. Trying to create a memory affects the flow of real moments. I live day to day, and minute to minute. At 8am on a Wednesday morning, I took my son to school on his 5th birthday. This bothered me for some reason. At 8:45 I ditched work, had the car packed and picked my son up from school. We headed to the beach to play miniature golf at the Peter Pan course. He wanted to play there before, but we didn’t have time. So, on this day we made time. We stayed the night at the beach, playing hide and seek for hours. He still talks about how much fun he had. Nothing was planned, just a last minute decision. Turned out to be something we will cherish and remember forever.
thanks Ron. very helpful comment to be mindful of God in every moment.
Hi Joel,
I am grateful at this moment for all the things i have in this wonderful life.
You become so philosophical Joel,looks like a different Joel altogether.
When you are faced with problems,we tend to forget to live in the moment.When we happy and grateful,we fully live in the moment.
It feels wonderful to be in the moment.
All we have now is the moment alone.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks,
Kannan Viswagandhi
One realy had to take a time to understand that a second makes a change in ones life, a taught is initiated withing a second and planned at the next minute and is implemented. Your taught are factors to change wether positve or negative, thats why people need to exhibit positive attirude. Wether you like it or not you hear, see speak, walk or work for change. Thats Living in the Moment, a vital taught.
Don’t waste your time, or time will waste you…. from a Muse Song
Hey Joel,
I have personally experienced this in my life. I had a Dad growing up who always worked and never took time to spend with the family.
Now that I have my own family, I make it a point to spend time with the kids and wife every single day.
In fact, my life’s motto is “Life is too short to not have one”. No one ever wishes they worked more when they are on their death bed.
I always remember someone telling me, “If you died tomorrow, what would people say about you at your funeral. If it isn’t what you would want, you need to change how you live.”
Make it a great day!
Andre Messner
Business Strategist & Mentor
The clock of life is wound but once
and no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop–
At late or early hour
Now is the only time you own:
Live, love, work with a will
Place no faith in tomorrow, for
The clock may then be still
Hi Joel,
Having just arrived from a quite fruitful seminar for cancer survivors, I think I understand what you mean by living in the moment. When I am facing a group of participants who have been given a second chance in life (as I had), it’s every moment that counts, not days, not months, not years. But moments do not stand still. They fly, and even as I write this reply, the inspiring moments I had with them are already slipping away.
But such is life. You’ve to learn to let go. To move on. The experience we have now accumulates in our psyche, our subconsciousness that goes beyond this life. Although our physical bodies die, our spiritual/divine identity continues for thousands of lifetime learning through the process how to live, to love and eventually to reconnect with God. And if one is “ready” in this lifetime, special forces will get them reconnected with their divine half or twin at least for one moment in time, before they move on to another lifetime.
And it is this moment that I’m sure no one would want to miss!
The times in my life that really stand out are the ones where I was truly present, grounded, relaxed…
– intimate moments with my wife
– the birth of my 2 sons
– particular sunrises, sunsets, panoramic views, wonders of nature
– at certain moments during talks I was giving: speaking from my heart
– special moments of connection with close friends, late into the night
…and so on.
These moments seemed so magical that I have gone out of my way to create my own Present Moment Checklist to help me have more of these in my life as I realised that these moments happened under certain conditions, and I could engineer them to happen far more often.
It really helps!