What does it mean to ‘Seize the Day’?
‘Seize the Day’ is an idiom that has its roots in the Latin language. The Latin version is ‘Carpe Diem‘. It dates to as far back as 23 BC in book 1 of Odes, a work by the Roman poet Horace. (source: wikipedia)
The phrase ‘Seize the day’ means, take advantage of opportunities. So, seize or carpe here means take advantage of.
The idiom means to live life to the fullest by taking advantage of the opportunities that exist. When an individual seizes the day, he or she makes the most out of it.
It does not mean to literally grab hold of something. Rather, it means to make the most of every day. A few ways of seizing the day.
- Take all available opportunities: do not allow them to pass you by.
- Experience each moment: take the time to be present in the moment, and to fully experience it.
- Do not procrastinate: do not put things off until tomorrow - seize the day and do them today!
This idiom also encourages people to let go of their fears and take that leap of faith in order to achieve success.
Why should we seize the day? The opportunities that exist today may be gone tomorrow. It is, therefore, important to seize the day and exploit the opportunities that come with it because all we have is the present.
- Enjoyment: spontaneity is exhilarating.
- Urgency: if we do not seize an opportunity now, someone else may take it.
- Reformation: this maxim can change our life positively.
- Refreshing: positive action is wonderfully rejuvenating.
- Ageing: we should make the most of our youth.
- Hindsight: we never know what great opportunities we had until they are gone.
- No regrets: why live with regrets?
- Those around us: Make the most of time with friends and loved ones - we never know how long they will be in our lives.