Carpe Diem - Seize The Day

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life . . . and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."            

- Henry David Thoreau, Where I Lived And What I Lived for

    

When it comes to poems, there are a numerous amount of interpretations from many all over the world. Be it correct or incorrect, I believe the phrase above from Thoreau's "Where I Lived And What I Lived For" depicts an unsuccessful individualist. In an attempt to escape the lifestyle of a city, or in this case, to break away from conformists, he was not able to live life to its fullest due to craze of individuality and conformism. I personally do not believe in individuality or conformism in themselves, rather I believe in the components that make them up. I believe in my ability to make decisions accompanied by my willpower to persevere through peer pressure and the opinions of others.

I don’t want an excessive amount from life. I don’t see myself acquiring a large amount of fame and fortune. I simply desire a satisfying area to live in, a child of my own or adopted should the opportunity to have my own child never come, possibly more than one but I’m not sure if I could handle that, a fairly sized house, and a successful career. There are other possibilities that I am considering but what I listed are my primary goals. Of course, as the Earth ages with time, change, a necessary element of existence stands as a potential opponent. For the better or worse, change is necessary. Who you are and what you believe in derives from change. Without change, which can be somewhat connected or risks, life itself could never progress and develop.

It is important to treat each day as if it were your last because our life could end at any moment without a warning. When you set your mind into thinking that you do not have much time left, you strive to live without restraints and die without regrets. In my opinion, treating each day as if it were your last could also lead to extreme paranoia. I experienced it myself. Due to the nature of my area and areas close to it, I was convinced that my family and I could fall victim to many things. A particular thought tortured me when I slept, the thought of one individual or more barging into our house and committing a robbery and murder. It’s as my father says, there is no tomorrow, only yesterday and today.