Carpe Diem

 What is Carpe Diem?

Is it when we party like crazy? Drink all booze until drop-dead? do something really high or awkward? How about when we mountain climb or rock climb? Go surfing? Skateboarding? Extreme Biking? Or those days we finally decided to take that bungee jump or skydive?

Sometimes we look at FB photos and we envy travellers for seizing the days – not even just one day. But is seizing the day only associated with lavish travels? Or tickets to fancy festivals and posh bars? What about the everyday routines?

I believe Carpe Diem is anything that will make us feel alive without the need of spending big – drinking a cup of coffee or tea at home, perhaps, reading good books, or watching great movies or sunsets with our love ones. Or it could be our everyday favourite moments: laughing with friends, playing with kids, running with our dogs, feeling the waves, smelling the flowers, or soaking in the rain. Or those times we become selfless – painting smiles with others, teaching street kids, taking care of the olds, etc.

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Carpe Diem doesn't have to be expensive. As we grow older, we realize that those little moments and those laidback times are those moments that really capture our hearts and make us feel alive; that seizing the day is choosing happiness and joy in spite of - when we choose to smile when others give us all the reasons to frown, and when we choose to laugh when others give us all the reasons to cry.

Small things and simple moments, these make up our lives. These are things that we often overlook but when we look back to these moments, these are those that truly paint a smile on our faces.

Seizing the day is claiming that truly, these are our moments – no matter how grand or small the moment. It is a celebration of life. It's finding happiness even in the little things. Carpe Diem is claiming each moment to be "our" moments.

Live life to the full(est).

Presiding priest in today's mass stressed out the value of living life to the fullest. Today is All Souls' Day, in commemoration for those who already left this material world.

What is it really like to live life to the fullest?

Is it getting a full body tattoo? a bungee jump in one of the tallest places in Macau, a skydive in Dubai, an all-day walk at the park/beach with your love one, an all stress-free day, a day of meet-up with friends or a shot at things you've never really tried in your entire life?

I guess it is but subjective.

I cannot tell a 10-year old what it's like for him/her to live his/her life to the fullest. Or a senior citizen or even those who are same batch as mine. Living life to the fullest depends on the amount of happiness we are able to gain in an activity, may it be on our own or with friends or people we love.

But for me, living life to the fullest is enjoying the 'now', not thinking about the tomorrow nor the later. It's living for the moment. Death as they call it, is unexpected. You'll never know if after writing this article, I would still have a few more breaths or you wouldn't know if after Christmas or your birthday, you'd still be able to see the sun shine again.

Living life to the fullest is basically cherishing and living for the day. Carpe Diem, as the famous adage goes.

My Carpe Diem, would include a kiss with my wu bei, a laugh with my friends and an intimate bonding with the family. Adventures, yes, they will make a difference with the rest of my usual days, but for me, I can do more adventures in heaven (well, I claim it'll be my destination :p).

Family, friends, love ones - they are temporary; permanent in a sense that they'll always be there for you, but temporary in a sense that like me, they will go to heaven (I pray so ü) eventually. So living life to the fullest for me, is spending as much time with these people. It's taking a cup of tea with them, riding a bike, watching movies, food tripping, strolling in the mall..basically, the smallest of things. Because it's the little things that give us the happiest smile, the most genuine of happiness.

Big things come from small things. So in living life to the fullest, we start with the small things. Simple, innocent things.

Good night world.

Signing off,
randompinay ;)