Robin Williams talks with his class in Dead Poet’s Society.
William “Bud” Hart, of Haverhill, shares “Success Principles”—ideas for living a greater, better and more accomplished life, and building habits that stick. He also coaches clients to incorporate strategies for boosting their mental and physical performance during everyday living.
In the 1989 movie Dead Poet’s Society, Robin Williams portrays John Keating, a passionate English professor who inspires his students to live life to the fullest, exclaiming, “Carpe Diem lads! Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary!”
This is the challenge that we all face everyday. A formidable task in light of the out-of-control work schedules and the pressures we encounter in making a living in today’s society. With more things to do, more places to go, more people to meet and more tasks to complete—at an ever accelerating pace—we wind up spending much of our life wishing and waiting for our dreams and the things that we desire most to just happen.
But wanting something even when we want it really badly won’t make it happen (at least that’s my experience). And waiting for things to happen is clearly a great waste of a life.
English professor John Keating is portrayed as recognizing this and he teaches his students to embrace life and live it to the fullest. He encourages them to consider and ponder the meaning of events and things in their lives and to grow and change.
The truth is we are all beholding to life’s day to day realities. Birth, sickness, lawn mowing, yard work, tending to house needs, doing laundries, playing with grandkids, socializing with family and friends, drinking beer, watching TV, watching young kids’ soccer practices, listening to music, running errands, squeezing in time for God, tending the garden, trying to rid the yard of a pesky groundhog, checking for who died, seeing what is popped up new in the real estate market, shopping for food. While constantly seeking our own unique course, money, status and the best life can offer.
Even though this may be a bit too much of my personal Pollyannaism for you, trust me, no matter what stage you are at, how fast and how high you rise to the top (or not) and how much money, fame and fortune you gain (or don’t), most of what is truly meaningful (extraordinary) in life is to be found in the many small, mundane daily events of everyday living.
The hardest part about seizing the day and making everything extraordinary is getting your mind used to it. Work at it, sometimes it takes awhile.
William “Bud” Hart is a certified “Mindset” Coach, Accountability Partner and Business Consultant. Founder of Hart Group, www.hartgroupma.com.