Carpe Diem

TO THE VIRGINS, TO MAKE MUCH OF TIME.
by Robert Herrick (This is one of my favorite poems.)
GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying :
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer ;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may go marry :
For having lost but once your prime
You may for ever tarry.

Seize the day.
That's a motto I've had for quite a while. I left to many regrets in my youth for not taking advantage of my opportunities. One must not be afraid to step outside of the box, make something of oneself. It took me a long time to learn to do things because I wanted to, or needed to, regardless of what everyone else thought. For a great many years I was a slave to conformity, I was so worried about fitting in, I shied away from doing anything extraordinary.

This is a problem a great many have. I think the best way to overcome it is just to do it. Start with something small you've always wanted to do, and do it. The something a little bigger, and a little bigger, and a little bigger, until you've overcome that fear of "inconvenience" and truly excel.
One example from my life is that I've always wanted to be a poet, but for a great many years I was afraid to try. Oh sure, I would write poems, but then I would hide them from the world, I was ashamed that they weren't good enough. But now, thanks to a willingness to go out on a limb and and English teacher who was willing to give me a little push, I have a poem, being published this spring.