Carpe Diem a.k.a. Plucking The Day

 

These days, there is that lost in translation WHEN it's about CARPE DIEM is wrongly equated to SEIZING THE DAY. Although this is all semantics, there is a world of difference because scholars advise that it really means PLUCKING THE DAY.  Breaking it down further down to our layman's level, it's likened to gathering of the ripening fruits OR flowers.  Further down, it means enjoying a moment that is deeply rooted in the sensory experience of nature.  And WHILE this is one of the telling ways, it reveals as well that process of our hidden assumptions about WHAT we really value.  Indeed, gathering flowers as a metaphor for timely enjoyment is a far gentler and more sensual image than the rather forceful and sometime even violent concept of seizing the moment.  We can keep tweaking CARPE DIEM but it's still a welcome metaphor💚💛💜

Regardless WHETHER we tweak CARPE DIEM either to the left OR right, we'll still find ourselves with the same questions LIKE  is your mind constantly racing?  Do you feel like you're always chasing after time OR wanting more and more?  YES, admittedly at times, I go through thoughts like all these BUT to arrest a potential skid, I am constantly working on finding that potential greater contentment and YES, that sometimes elusive calm.  And WHEN I feel unsettled, I would endeavor to take 1 to 2 minutes of my time to close my eyes.  And in that very brief pause, I do think about making the most of WHAT I have that very moment.  Call it 'plucking the day' OR whatever❎❎❎

Teddy Roosevelt, one of the more popular American Presidents was widely quoted "DO WHAT YOU CAN, WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, WHERE YOU ARE'.  This circles back to my thoughts before WHEN I wished I was born rich BUT after lots of soul-searching, I was [and still am] actually glad that I WASN'T born rich.  WHY?  Because those episodes in my life did teach me lessons I could have NOT learned elsewhere❌❌❌

Thing is, WHATEVER situation you are in now, there are a few essential things we need to consider even as we speak now:

• THAT happiness is a choice!
• THAT you DON'T need much to be happy
• THAT we be grateful for WHAT we have

Our takeaway:  Let's settle with this Mark Twain quote:  GIVE EVERY DAY THE CHANCE TO BECOME THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DAY OF YOUR LIFE.  I remember years back WHEN I got involved in a major car accident.  My constant reminder to myself WAS that I WAS grateful that that accident happened that very time WHEN I had all the time to spare and I had all the resources to tap.  In short, let's STOP thinking/saying LIKE  "IF I HAD THIS, I WOULD BE HAPPY". Enough of that crap dude😡😡😡