Clarity + Direction = Fulfillment
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get your there.
In physics, momentum is a vector quality made of magnitude and direction. Despite feeling like we are action-oriented, moving at great speed without clear direction gets us lost. Yet many of us allow situations to unfold or wait for something to happen to preserve optionality. Thus, we end up reacting, defending, and spinning without traction. Being clear about what we want, where we are going, and how we will behave reduces the possibility that we'll get lost or waste time and energy on regrettable activities.
Are you taking, faking, or making?
Carpe diem is bad advice
The phrase “carpe diem” was popularized by the film Dead Poets Society. Robin Williams as John Keating, inspires his students with the line, “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary,” cementing it as a motivational mantra for living fully and embracing opportunities.
Was John Keating accidentally sparking too much urgency and individuality in his students? His boss thought so, and the movie explored the dark downsides of this desperate mantra. In retrospect, it seems Keating was foreshadowing our current social media fueled, self-referential, me-focused social malaise.
Seizing the day is for takers. It literally means “to pluck the day now." This is easy to misconstrue as getting what's yours before you lose out. This becomes fear-based, anxiety-ridden FOMO, not a better way to live a great life. Carpe diem encourages taking and it's an outdated "old school" way of thinking.
Carpe diem might also spur "faking" when we're not ready or able to show up fully. Often we're encouraged to grin and bear it, power through, or tough it out to achieve results in challenging situations. Fake-it-til-you-make-it might buy you time until you are more ready, and sometimes we must jump in and figure things out before we're confident, but faking to avoid fear of rejection, humiliation, or vulnerability is not a good trade-off. Faking leads to shallow, untrusting relationships and constant self-doubt that corrodes our self image over time.
Facias diem instead
"May you make the day" is the literal meaning of this more encouraging mantra for engaging fully with your life, choosing your approach, and tapping into the abundance of resources available to help you.
Momentmaking
The art & craft of an excellent life
Making moments is how you tap your full potential with boundless energy. Moments are constructive units of excellence used to build a fulfilling life. The ancient word for fill is "pleh" which you might associate with the word plenty... or having enough. When we have enough we feel joy. When we feel less than enough we experience fear. There is a place for fear to drive us toward safety, but only when there is a clear and present danger. In most cases our experience of fear is of our own construction (or lack thereof!). Making moments ensures you have plenty of what you need to live with joy.
Learn more about how momentmaking can transform your personal performance or team experience.