Chances are you’ve been introduced to the Dutch phrase “Carpe Diem” in one of 3 ways:

1. A borderline gay movie featuring Robin Williams and some schoolboys, held up in a Northeastern prep school in the 1950’s.
2. A coffee mug on someone’s desk in your office.
3. An interview published featuring a resume-building high school kid, destined for superstardom as a desk jockey at Edward Jones, who is asked, “Now that you’ve achieved Vice President of the Junior class, tell us, what is your personal motto?”

Yes, “carpe diem” is often used. In my mind, it’s often misused. To live life the way you desire and to be happy you don’t have to “seize the day” or “live life to the fullest”. Rather, you need to strike a balance (on your own terms) between all the things that make up your daily routine. Work and play. Eating right and eating for pleasure. Watching the game and watching the trees blow in the wind. Achieve a level of moderation amongst them all. Yes indeed.

This is a matter of interpretation of course, but I think that there’s no greater way to go about anything in life than in moderation. It’s those extremists, diehards and fanatics that stand out from the crowd and usually cause harm to themselves and/or to others. Do I have to even go into examples? Alcoholics. Religious zealots. Cardinals fans. 6 hours of TV a night and a side of fries. 60 hour work weeks. Unimaginable wealth at a young age. These people are hardcore and they pay a price for it. You’ve got to tone it down and do a little bit of this, a little bit of that.

“I’m going to wake up every morning and grab the day by the balls! I read TGS mothafucka! I’ll run 8 miles in the morning, put in 12 hours at work, head out for a phat 5-course dinner and then go snort lines at da club til 2!”

“I hate my job/wife/shoes. I’m going to tell my boss to screw off, track down some 19-year-old chick and go buy me some new Nike’s. Live exceptionally. Amen.”

“All these not-our-religion people are going to pay. Today’s the day, man. I’m strapping on the road flares and these cats are gonna know we mean business. Who are they to think they get all the money and pow- . . . I mean . . . belong on this land/get to go to heaven?!”

All these people could be seen as seizing the day to me. Perhaps if they all did their seizing in a level of moderation the world would be a better place.

I know I’m not making the clearest of arguments here, but you might say I’m a bit self-conscious about sporting a blog that has a tagline about ‘living life exceptionally’. Know that it doesn’t mean going crazy and taking radical action. It’s about enjoying the ride by sampling all that’s out there, and changing the things that you don’t like through prudence and hard work.

Live your way, just don’t be a nutjob.

P.S. Honestly, you were going to let Robin Williams inspire you instead of me? You know who else seized the day all the time? Rick James. He’s dead.