There’s more to life than the here and now

Carpe diem!

It’s Latin for “seize the day.” It’s a reminder to live in the moment. Wherever you are, be there. This moment is all we have. Yesterday isn’t returning and tomorrow isn’t promised. There are numerous inspirational clichés along those lines. And they are true. But so are the contradictory ones.

Never forget where you came from. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. If you fail to plan you can plan to fail. Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow (thank you Fleetwood Mac). Plan, hope, dream, and prepare.

If you’re looking back or looking forward, you’re not in the moment. The truth is, we can’t always be in the moment. There are times when you must reflect on what has been and hope for what will be. To live without looking back is to lack gratitude for everyone and everything that got you to where you are now. If you are so caught up in the moment that you don’t prepare for what’s next, what happens next may very well ruin the moment. The same thing applies to preparing for the life after this one.

Another folly about living in the moment is it becomes easy to settle for what is good and lose sight of what is best. Never surrender your BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal) for what you have now. Too often we settle for what we have in hand at the expense of what we want most. I’m very guilty of this.

There is a reason that writing my first book has been my top annual goal for roughly 30-some years. When I get the time to write, I get distracted by something more interesting. I’ve stared down the highway of success from many rabbit trails. I have to admit that some of those rabbit trails have led to some very fun and rewarding adventures but at the end of the day I still do not have a completed manuscript.

Living in the moment has been an expensive price to pay for what I want most. And yet I have to ask myself if my number one goal is so important to me, why haven’t I achieved it yet? Do I really want it that bad? Even now as I sit at home in what should be my free time, I’m writing this column rather than penning my tome. I get a lot of satisfaction out of being a columnist but I still don’t know what it feels like to be an author. Sure, I’ve authored hundreds of columns and thousands of stories, but the completion of a book remains out of my reach.

The thing is, it’s within my reach. Anything you want is within your reach. Whatever your dream or goal may be, you can achieve it if you are focused and determined enough. That may mean sacrificing what’s in the moment to seize what you want the most – to carpe cras (seize tomorrow). You need to keep moving forward. Learn from your failures and build on your successes. That means looking back and looking forward. Then, and only then, will you be able to seize the day.

Someday you will have that mountaintop experience that will broaden your horizons and show you more mountains to conquer. And for every mountain you conquer there is a valley to start in. You can’t have a mountain without a valley. Valleys are lush places where growth occurs. But eventually you must start climbing. There are no shortcuts. The elevator to success is broken. You must take the stairs.

Life is hard and it isn’t fair. That doesn’t mean you should give up. I haven’t given up on my dream of writing books and I am using this column as a reminder to refocus, sacrifice, and dedicate my efforts to making that happen. And when the time comes, I will one day hold up the first copy of my first book and shout, “carpe diem!”

 

Birthday wishes

Today (Nov. 12) is my wife’s birthday. This is her last one before a major milestone birthday next year, and no, I’m not saying which one. I just want to take a moment and boast about her and the many wonderful things she has accomplished in the nearly 23 years we have been married.

From starting out as a stay-at-home mom raising 3.5 kids to earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, working her way up the corporate healthcare ladder, and taking on key leadership roles in Boy Scouts and Toastmasters, she continues to amaze me with her skills, abilities, and accomplishments. On the side, she sews and is a gourmet chef.

I definitely married several pay grades above my level and thank God every day for this wonderful woman that he has put in my life. Happy birthday, Sandy! I look forward to celebrating many more with you!

Joe Southern is the managing editor of the Wharton Journal-Spectator and the East Bernard Express. He can be reached at news@journal-spectator.com.