Carpe Diem

• Jaime
• February 7, 2023
• Happiness, Inspiration, Juggling life, Kids, Life, Mindset, Motherhood, Motivation, Parenting, Work/life balance
• 4

Carpe Diem. Seize the day. I am overdue for posting my “word of the year” for 2023, and I’ve been contemplating this for weeks. Ultimately, I think I’ve found a good phrase to follow, that encapsulates all of the feelings I’ve had as I struggled to come up with this theme for the year ahead.

For the last year, I have really been focused on work, family, and getting back to basics in general – trying to keep the work/life balance on an even keel, enjoying every moment of our oldest’s last year at home, reflecting on 18 summers of parenting, helping my sister through her Breast Cancer diagnosis and surgery, and doing all of that while trying to keep Kindness (my word for 2022) in the forefront of all that I did.

I struggled. And things had to give – including this blog! As I’ve said before, None of us are Perfect, me least of all.

Life is an Adventure! I have always tried to make the most of all of the opportunities that we have, and take on the challenges as they come. So, with a year ahead that is full of promise, I want to make sure to not miss more of those opportunities. When something new comes my way, I’m going to jump in! Carpe diem!

In the movie Dead Poets Society, Robin Williams famously used the phrase to get his students’ attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec8FOZvcPVM

We all need someone, sometimes, to give us that nudge – to get our attention. I often ask my staff to remind me when I’ve let something drop, or if I haven’t responded to them about a deliverable. It’s the same with our kids – how often are you doing something when your kids ask you about something vital to their day, and you respond on auto-pilot, then don’t remember what you were supposed to do? It happens to all of us!

So, seize the day! Take the time to try to focus on your kids when they talk to you. Step back from whatever you’re doing, and give them your full attention. It can be so much more – or take so little out of your day – than jumping out of an airplane or checking off a big bucket list item. Take time for the little things, don’t let them pass you by. Because when your kids are in college, they will remember whether you put aside your phone and just gave them 100% of your focus for that first ½ hour after school. Carpe diem.