'Now Is the Time - 170 ways to seize the moment' by Patrick Lindsay

No. 4

'enjoy the day

Make the most of every day.

Use up the hours like a child.

There are no guarantees how many we get.

Older people will tell you

they rarely regret the things they did,

only the things they didn't do.

Don't spend your life intending to do something.

Start now!'

'And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years.'

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

I don't know if you are like me, but don't the days seem to slip by more quickly than the day before? Hours seem to roll into each other and before I know it, the day is nearly over. I'm a bit of a list girl and if something doesn't make its way onto my list, I forget about it and it doesn't get done. I use to just have lists for every day activities, but I find I now need to write lists for all the other stuff I intend doing.

I feel compelled to do the things that have been written down. They are my challenges and I try my best to stay committed to meeting them. This is not my advice to anyone. I'm simply sharing my way of doing things. I need a list. I love to 'tick' things off as I go. It makes me feel productive. The trick is to only put important things on my list, otherwise I can fill my day with insignificant things and whilst I may have had a productive day...

exactly...productive is one thing, but is list making a way to 'seize the moment'? How can you plan for the spontaneous, the one moment at a time stuff that crops up. Lists have their place and are important for getting everyday things completed, however, it is most important to remember that the highlights usually come from the unexpected. I find personally, it's the spontaneous things I do is what produces energy for my day. People - strangers, I meet through the day and happen to strike up a conversation with about anything, anything at all can be a marvellous boost to my day. These are the little things that can help put smiles on dials, not to mention perhaps finding out something new that I didn't know before.

Ways to seize the moment can vary for the individual and can range from doing anything that you've never tried before. You can even kill two birds with one stone and commit an act of kindness whilst performing your seize the moment act. All you need to be is creative and willing to have a go...so, let's all give it a try...and have fun.