Thoughts from Carpe Diem Regained by Roman Krznaric

Different personas who seize the day

The Experimentalist

  • Wings it

  • Pretends to know more than they do to seize an opportunity

 

The Death Gazer

  • Is acutely aware of their mortality

  • Is compelled to seize life because they think about how short it is

 

The Daredevil

  • Their efforts to seize the day involve great danger

 

The Role-breaker (I think this most closely resembles me)

  • Refuses to conform

  • Refuses to allow any ‘role’ to define which opportunities they should seize or pursue

 

The Opportunist

  • Lie, bribe, cheat, steal and exploit

  • Bend the rules to seize the opportunities they want

 

The Revolutionary

  • Aims to seize history

  • Like to think they are seizing the day on behalf of more than themselves

 

How to be more spontaneous

  1. Practise first – like an artist or an athlete – this makes seizing the opportunity easier when it comes along

  2. Accept offers and say yes more – everything is an offer even if it may not be phrased as one!

  3. Notice more

  4. Let go – forget fear and judgement – allow yourself to be vulnerable

  5. Use everything – everything is a spark for spontaneity

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Vogue September 1978

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Reflections on The Lost Art of Dress, by Linda Przybyszewski