Carpe Diem - Seize the Day

By Michael Levy

Children do not think about time in the same way as older folks. They are too busy playing games and chatting with their friends. They grow into adults who gain responsibilities and commitments. As adults, there is no time to contemplate where time is going because many folks swamp themselves by their daily routines.

However, as adults age, one day they suddenly realize how fast time flies. The older they become, the more they understand how time is speeding up, racing headlong into the jaws of physical death. In old age, a person may look back at past events that all too often had unpleasant outcomes and a few times surprisingly super results. In most people's lives, the problems outweighed the good times but somehow or other, they struggled through and here they are in old age, reminiscing.

No matter how successful or ineffective they were, everyone will ask the same question ... Did I make the best of my time on earth. If they did, they will have no regrets. However if they did not enjoy their past life, it will come back to haunt them no matter how big the bank balance. In all probability, they will pass over in a depressed state of mind. Therefore, it makes sense to know as soon as possible how to live each moment on earth in divine bliss ... To know how to seize each day and make the most of every second.

The origins of the words Carpe Diem (seize the day) have been around for many centuries. Many people attribute it to the Roman poet Horace, however it was around long before. That said, this is a good place to start our research...
Horace's ode "Carpe Diem" or "Pluck the Day"

Ask not ... we cannot know...
what end the gods have set for you, for me;
nor attempt the Babylonian reckonings Leuconoë.
How much better to endure whatever comes,
whether Jupiter grants us additional winters
or whether this is our last,
which now wears out the Tuscan Sea
upon the barrier of the cliffs!
Be wise, strain the wine; and since life is brief,
prune back far-reaching hopes!
Even while we speak, envious time has passed:
pluck the day,
putting as little trust as possible in tomorrow.

It seems humanity has always concerned itself with its own fleeting mortality ... Seize the day, was first written down about 1160 B.C., well before Horace. This poem was found on the tomb of Inherkhawy, a supervisor of workers at the Egyptian royal burial ground in the ancient city of Thebes:

Song of the Harper
Carpe diem ('seize the day') motif; song for Osiris;

All who come into being as flesh, pass on;
busy fluttering souls and bright transfigured spirits
who people the world below
and those who shine in the stars with Orion;
all men rest in the grave;
set your home well that your good name last because of it,
care for your works that your seat in the West be splendid;
seize the day! hold holiday!

be unwearied, unceasing, alive,
let not your heart be troubled during your sojourn on earth
grieve not your heart, whatever comes
recall not the evil, loathsome to God,
but have joy, joy, joy, and pleasure!
content with your lot, rejoicing, not speaking evil.

Superb words which have not lost their powerful message with the passing years. They make up the cornerstone foundation of every religion. In fact, the words are more needed to be understood today than at any time in human history.

There can be no doubt that from the beginning of the human time and space mode, people have looked up at the heavens and asked how they can make the most of their life on earth. The fountain of youth has become billion dollar industry, with all types of cosmetic products and surgical procedures, keep fit regimens, health treatments, guru seminars and a whole host of concoctions that boggle the mind. And yet, despite all of that, holding on to blissful time is seemingly like trying to capture the wind as it breezes-by on your face.

Experts may express that is impossible to be in a pleasurable state of mind all the day, every day. They will go on to say that even if it were possible, life would become boring and uninteresting.

Since most people listen to expert advice, they will believe the experts and feel it is normal to be miserable some days when things don't go the way they intended. Therefore, for most people it has become impossible to seize every day and enjoy whatever it brings. Nevertheless, what if the experts are wrong and a person could enjoy every moment they are on earth.

What if there is a way to find the elixir of happiness that does not cost a dime and does not need any other human being's advice. Would that be something human beings would want? The answer is yes they do want it; however, the obstacle that stands in their way is so huge that for most people it becomes very hard to shift. The reason why it is so hard to overcome is the fact that it is the person's own belief system and intellect that bars the way to happiness. Most people have become so entrenched in the way they perceive the world to be, that any application of truthfulness upsets their demeanor and they run a million miles in the opposite direction.

The truth, like joy-filled time, evades most people and the more people try to capture it, the further away it travels. It is comparable to a computer that is loaded with all types of sophisticated software and yet fails to understand the simplest of tasks because it is no longer part of the modern system that requires applications that are more advanced.

Joy is still a gift that comes with birth however, the modern day living soon wants to take simple joy and change it by artificial human intellect into something it was never meant to be. The only place on earth that is susceptible to erroneous changes is the human intellect that believes it can alter its own intelligence system and make it better than originally planned.

It shoves all types of food and drink into a system that is built to enjoy water and simple healthy foods. It artificially creates a luxury lifestyle, while forsaking the key ingredients of happiness and contentment. An expensive lifestyle is one where happiness is sacrificed for money, serenity for ambition and contentment for the pursuit of things.

The simplicity formula is ...

Happy to be alive with common sense = Intelligence
Working at being correct = Intellect.

When the intellect attempts to rule over is own intelligence system, the result will always turn out to be misery. The good news is, whenever the intellect allows its own intelligence system to guide its lifestyle and creativity, the results will be Carpe Diem.

The moments may contain chaos that want to catch the attention, however, when we can seize that moment of chaos and feel the joy of the divine, we have seized the moment of joy within the chaos. The person that can seize the joy in the day without being caught up in the mayhem that may exist around them will live a prosperous life. Try to remember, beginners luck can last a lifetime, once we understand how lucky we are to be born.

To help you pursue your ideas of contentment and tranquility, read each essay slowly and give yourself the time, and grace before you read the next chapter. This book is not a speed contest to find out how fast you can get through it. It is written so the you have better choices once you ponder on the meaning in each essay.

...Enjoy the day!

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