Imagine you attended a party where you consume a few glasses. You want to enjoy the moment and not be preoccupied with the afterwards. One consumption leads to another as you are enjoying the atmosphere. Imagine now you get behind the wheel of a car and end up having an accident. The accident leads you to the hospital, severely injured. Are you enjoying life to the max now? Odds say at this point you are not enjoying the moment nor will you be for some time. So if you actually go out and live like there is no tomorrow, this self- fulfilled prophecy might actually come true.
It is also unrealistic to party all the time. In life we must also work. In life we are also confronted with sicknesses, losses, stress, anxiety – the list goes on. So how does this old adage apply in all circumstances of our lives? How do we enjoy the moments that are at odds against us? Or are we only meant to enjoy the good moments and deal with the bad?
For me the full expression of carpe diem answers the question: what is your motivation to wake up in the morning”? Or flipping the coin over, when things are not going your way, what is that one thing that you are willing to fight for? Plainly said, why live for tomorrow? This could be your reason for being, your purpose in life or any ambition of yours.
When you are able to define your purpose and your motivation in life, you answer the question “why live for tomorrow?” and you shed light onto the second part of the equation.The moment you are confronted with pain, discomfort, conflicts, problems, etc. you give purpose to your fight and keep your goal in sight. You may not appreciate or enjoy the moments of suffering but having a goal will keep you focused. It does not necessarily make the road easy but it will allow you to put the poorer moments of life into perspective. With your goal in mind, you are better equipped to deal with life as it presents itself to you, accordingly at that very moment.
Putting the second part of this Latin aphorism into perspective, we are reminded not to forget the future (tomorrow). Here’s where both parts of the equation meet: tomorrow should actually be our concern, but not to the point that we are burdened by our anxieties for the future, to not be able to enjoy the present. The aphorism reminds us to live for today while keeping an eye on tomorrow. For me this interpretation of the timeless expression renders justice to the full meaning of the expression.
Mohammed Ali once said: “Don’t count the days. Make the days count”. In other words, don’t wait for the perfect moment, because it may never arrive. Make the moment, each moment, perfect as best you can. In other words, it should be our daily concern to make today better than yesterday and tomorrow even better than today.