Why seize the day

Being present might mean setting down the phone. It might mean taking out off the headphones and closing the laptop. It could look like a simple smile as you pass someone on the sidewalk, or. Being present allows our spirits to breathe and connect — it brings freedom and joy to our lives. The other day, I spent some time playing music with someone I just met. It was random. I had almost no idea who they were. But I knew they liked to play music too, so I decided to make the most of the opportunity.

I brought my guitar over and it turned out to be a wonderful time of spontaneous music. I could have let that opportunity pass and go on with life, but I chose to do something. If I spend every day waiting for tomorrow it will never come.

Carpe diem. If you really want to seize the day, you have to live in the present moment. I know, I know, you love thinking about your ex who rejected you. It hurt so bad. He was your one true love. So you need to make yourself feel horrible every day by playing back the same old memories.

You already had a chance at living in the past. There were so many amazing moments. And there were some pretty awful ones too. Should you really be reading an article about seizing the day or should you go out there and seize the day? Take a deep breath in and feel this moment.

What would make this moment great? Got it? Now go do it! If you need some inspiration, quickly find some ways to practice mindfulness. People spend way too much time in their heads. Meditation helps you become more self-aware of everything going on in and around you. Meditation is simply the practice of mindfulness before the real-world event takes place. You know, those moments where you need to be in the moment. You can follow along to guided meditations or focus on your breathing.

You can check out our free meditation on present living on YouTube. And how far did that get you? Most likely it means nothing good or bad will happen. How do I know? You can be anyone you want to be. Instead, it means taking the best traits of the people you admire the most and rebuilding yourself up with those new qualities.

As you learn how to seize the day, you need to bring the best version of yourself to the table everyday. Are there skills you need to develop? Are there books that will help guide you towards your 2.

Do you need to meet new people to learn things you never thought were possible? Your current self is a work in progress but the person you can become will be extraordinary. And that person will seize the day effortlessly. Life is best experienced when you share moments with others. The downside is that it sucks. If someone is going through a tough time, offer a listening ear.

Or when you hear about a volunteer organization running low on help, jump in and become a volunteer. So seize the day by being a great friend when people need one. Life is less about work and more about play. Sure, you need enough money to live so work will always be a part of your life. Are there activities you can do with family members? Or places you can go discover? Are there conversations you want to have with friends?

Inject play into your day. Whether you unwind with some video games with friends. Or redesign your garden to create a tropical getaway in the yard making it the ultimate oasis. Think of the activities that make you happiest. Then, try to incorporate those into your life in simple ways. Seizing the day is all about making the most of life. The best way to make the most of this crazy world we live in is to step outside in nature.

When was the last time you stood by a lake, river, or any body of water aside from your bathtub, of course and took a deep breath of that fresh air? When was the last time you watched the waves crash into rocks?

Have you ever sat on a bench and just watched dogs chase squirrels in a park? Carpe diem has also been hijacked by our culture of hyper-scheduled living, argues Krznaric. In terms of cultural history, most people are unaware that their spontaneity has been stolen from them over the past half a millennium. For 2, years there has been a long war against pleasure.

During one of the most seemingly pleasure-bashing periods in history, an alternative set of ideas advocating hedonism captured the popular imagination. Is there a danger that carpe diem could just represent a form of escapism, though — that savouring too many exquisite moments means leaving all your responsibilities behind?

Another thing that stops us from seizing the day is an aversion to facing our own mortality. A classic one, going back to the Romans, is the idea of living every day as though it were your last.

Then in the Buddhist tradition, live as if life is full of little deaths. That idea of impermanence: your children are only going to grow up once so spend time with them.