I like to live in the moment and enjoy smelling the roses. I try to find the positives in life. Why not? It can lead to a good health outcome as a result. Well, there is some data that supports that notion. Not entirely sold on it, however. But I do personally believe it.  It’s like that song Live in the Moment by Portugal The Man notes:

“Ooh la la la la la
Let’s live in the moment
Come back Sunday morning
A lie, oh well
When you’re gone; Goodbye, so long, farewell

Actually, I am not too sure that those lyrics mean. Why do songwriters have to be so mysterious with their meanings? I suppose I understand a tad bit from my own poetry writing expereince. Many times my meaning is only known to myself and I enjoy seeing how others treat my words like a blank canvas and add their own meaning to them. But, speaking of words let me get back to living in the moment. I like it. I enjoy it.

But I understand that we also need to anticipate future needs, desires and expectations. And, I am struck by how so many people do not do so.  Many will justify their lack of future preparedness by noting that they believe in living in the moment but that is just not an excuse. You have to anticipate being hungry at night and have a somewhat stocked fridge. Well, of course, if you live in New York City you can always run out and find something open.   But you get my point.

I came across this quote, and book title by Bestselling author Harvey Mackay,  “Dig a well before you are thirsty” and was struck by how true and real it was. If you love hiking and the immediacy of it, you still anticipate being thirsty and bring a cantene, water bottle or, if you are like me, a soda.   You are not likely to assume that someone else will supply you with water to quench your thirst or that there will be drinking stations along the way. I did see an episode recently of the soon-to-be-cancelled Life Sentence wherein a main character was going hiking and completely didn’t anticipate needing water. He was completely a live-in-the-moment guy who was trying to impress a girl. He was also a guy who was basically treading water in life who had put much of his life on hold or rather hadn’t moved foward very far in life. I am not too sure that is completely adaptive.

The book by Harvey Mackay was about networking in the business world. But, the principle holds true for life overall. It does amaze me how people often do not think through the consequences of their actions or inactions.

So, let’s do Carpe Diem and dig wells. That would be a full, maximized life.