Reflections on Carpe Diem

Reflections on Carpe Diem

(By: Jojo C. Pinca)

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, old time is still a-flying; and this same flower that smiles today tomorrow will be dying."

• Robert Herrick

Many years ago when I was working at De La Salle University - Manila as Assistant Security Officer I was assigned to supervised the security arrangement at the main auditorium of that university. There was a graduation ceremony being held at that time. As I remembered the speaker who delivered the inspirational message was a CPA-Lawyer. Though I can't remember the entire message of the speech nevertheless I recalled the last portion. Before he left the stage the speaker shouted "carpe diem my friends, carpe diem" then the graduating class arose altogether and they gave the speaker a standing ovation. That was the first time that I heard the word carpe diem and I don't know what it is. So, I searched the internet and I learned that carpe diem is a Latin phrase meaning "seize the day".

I also learned that carpe diem was the main theme in the 1989 movie "Dead Poet Society". I bought the CD of this movie and watched it for at least five times in different occasions. The movie tells the story of an English teacher named John Keating played by the late American actor Robin Williams. The character John Keating was a nonconformist teacher who dares to challenge the status quo. He was encouraging his students to seize the day and do the things that they enjoy because life is short and time is running out. Because of his maverick style in teaching Keating was fired out from the school. Nevertheless, John Keating got the respect of his students.

Seize the day, grab the chance, take the opportunity, rise to the occasion, live for the day - these are the variations of carpe diem in English and they all mean the same. Don't live in the past and don't wait for tomorrow to come because the most important time is now. Whatever happens to your life depends on how you utilize your NOW.

I don't know what happened to the members of that graduating class of De La Salle University. I hoped they were inspired too by the message delivered by the speaker the way it inspired me at that time. I supposed all the members of that graduating class were now successful in their respective careers. It's not easy to inspired people but that speaker really got our attention.

In respect to this noble idea I wrote this humble essay. For years the spirit of carpe diem has lingered inside my heart and mind. It's about time to put these reflections into paper. I also want to share my thoughts about carpe diem to other people. I want to write my reflections clearly and effectively even though I'm not a professional writer. Alright, since I don't have the luxury of time I will begin now in my reflections.

Reflections

Man is born with innate freedom, he can do whatever he wants to; he is free to enjoy the things around him until he was restricted and subdued by the various powers surrounding him. The child's preoccupation is supposed to be focused on the playing of his toys and in enjoying the company of his playmates. The teenager should be busy in discovering his talent, skill and pursuing the desire of his heart, while the adult person is expected to accomplish the worthy task in his chosen field.

But this inherent freedom of man was disrupted by the ups and downs of life. The child couldn't play anymore because he needs to work to help his poor parents, he can't join his friends because he is being maltreated by his guardians or bullied by his teachers and classmates. The traumatic experienced of the child made him embittered until he grew up. Then the embittered child became a frustrated teenager who deliberately abandoned his dreams, instead he indulged on bad habits such as cigarette, liquor and drugs. Ultimately this frustrated teenager will become a problematic adult, a liability and sometimes danger to the society. What a tragic end.

This shouldn't be the case. According to Henry David Thoreau the essence of living a happy life is "to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life". The emphasized here is all the marrow of life. The correct way to enjoy life is to enjoy it from childhood to old aged. Sad to say, in reality this is not always the case. Often than not we experienced traumatic situations at the early age of our life. It is very unfortunate that some of these traumatic experiences happened inside our homes. My personal experienced as a child was not a happy one and I must admit that it affected me as I grew up.

Alright, so life is not a bed of roses and things are not always what they seemed to be. So what are you going to do now? You were victimized by the bad circumstances that surrounded your life; because you were young at that time you can't control the situation. Your will to survive was broken at an early stage. You feel helpless and isolated. The bad news is that, past is past and there is nothing you can do to amend it. Now, the good news is that you can start a new life right at this very moment. Leave the past behind and don't think about the future, concentrate on the now.

You don't have to start in a dramatic way. You can do it slowly. "Minute by minute that's how you win it. We will find a way. But let us seize the day. Courage cannot erase our fear. Courage is when we face our fear." These are some of the lyrics in the song entitled "Seize the Day" by Alan Menken. Change doesn't have to be always radical you can start and progress inch by inch. As the song suggested minute by minute that's how you win it. Seizing the day will start inside your head it's a mind process an adventure.

Once you begin your remarkable journey you will encounter challenges and discouragements but do not be affected just continue. At the end of your adventure you will be surprised to see that you've finally become a new person: strong, wise and happy.

Ultimately were all dead men, rich and poor, humble and powerful soon we will all die. It doesn't matter how long or how short your life is what matters is how you lived it. Our memories will fade in time and this fragile body will wither when illness comes. Don't wait for that day for it will certainly come, move forward and enjoy the remaining days of your short life because the future may never come.

Fear is poison you must throw it out from your system. The best way to defeat fear is to move forward. Your heart is your compass and by using it you can always change the direction of your life. Ignore the clouds always look at the horizon only then you will reach your goals. Don't follow the light of other people choose a different path. You can always shine on your own because you are the sun and the moon of your own universe.

Bear in your mind that you can always change the situation in your life whatever it is. The best way to change something is to believe that you can change it and that you can make a difference. If you don't believe in your own soul why would the universe do?

Life is a combination of light and shade, of joy and sorrow, of good and bad, the principle of Yin and Yang is the law of the universe. The opposite forces in life are actually interconnected. This means you can use your frustration and weakness in the past to strengthen your present.

Money is a cruel slave master the more you crave for money the more it will enslave you. Seizing the day doesn't mean earning more money or getting rich. Carpe Diem is about enjoying your present life by making the most of what you have today. It is about discovering your passion and pursuing it. If your passion is writing then write as much as you want, don't write because of money, money will probably come later. The important thing is to enjoy writing.

You are not too young or too old to start something. Once you discover where your passion is jump right away and start doing it. Don't be afraid to fail, it is better to fail on something than do nothing at all. I'm already at my forties but it doesn't matter I will continue in writing my essays because this is my passion.

Often than not you are your worse enemy not the people around you because you're acting as if you are your own prosecutor, judge and jailer. Come on try to be fair with yourself. Granted that you made some foolish things in the past and you messed around. So what? It doesn't mean that you have no right to stand up and start all over again?

Don't say you can't do it; of course you can because you're a man. The difference between man and animal is defined by action. Man can always change himself he knows how to evolve and for this reason he can always re-invent himself. The tool for change is the mind, the more you concentrate your ability to think the more you will develop the kind of change that you've always wanted to have.

Procrastination is the thief of time you must dive into action once you found your passion.

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