2007 Resolution #2: Carpe Diem + 1

OK, so I know it's a little late for a new year's resolution however it's silly that you have to wait until the end of the year to make a dedication for the better.

I was inspired by an episode of Scrubs (Season 4, episode 14) with guest star Colin Ferrall who plays a lives-life-to-the-fullest Irish Guy who doesn't have any regrets or hold any grudges. It sparked something within me.

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So lately, I've been really good with my life with going the extra mile and I've been feeling good about everything so I wanted to articulate these feelings. What I've come up with is "Carpe Diem + 1".

The best metaphor I can find for it is in basketball. It's called "and one" and it's where as you are trying to score and you get fouled however you will the ball into the hoop. In layman's terms, it means that through adversary, you push your way through and as a result, you are rewarded an additional chance to score.

So I want to continue to do at least one thing more for myself everyday outside of my job. So whether it's blogging, calling a friend, making an additional investment, saving that extra dollar, working out for 15 minutes or all of the above. I want to squeeze that much more out of my day.

Carpe Diem + 1 is placing my head on my pillow and instantly passing out. It's taking one step closer to realizing my dreams. It's about having that piece of mind that you have options and that I don't have to stress anymore. Most importantly, Carpe Diem +1 is me going into life effecting everything and everyone around me rather than the other way around.

Live.

Life Matters: Thunderbird, Thunderbird, You are Finally Mine

So a long time ago, I was popping 100 hour weeks and sleeping in my cube 2-3 nights a week. It was a sad sight. I had a little cave in my cube with a sleeping bag and a pillow that was blocked off with a bunch of filing cabinets. It was a sacred space. I could just pop underneath during the day and nobody would know I was at my desk. It was nice. In any case, I had friends, I was needed at work, but there was a sadness that I couldn't escape. I was aware of everything but gosh, sometimes you're just stuck and there's nothing you can do about it. So one day, I went to the car dealerships with KC to test drive cars and there was an old school thunderbird that I we drove that I just fell in love with. I was also looking at an Infiniti G35, a Nissan Z, or a Infiniti FX35 at the time. The 'bird', as I fondly call it now, blew them all away.

As always, I have a thing about about waiting a week that my heart jumps out of my chest for. It allows me to absorb everything and really see if this is something I really want or if it's just infatuation. The feeling didn't die. The key moment of the wait was where I was sitting on a couch at Yahoo! where the beautiful and wise Susan Sullivan walks by and said that I looked "sad." I guess I was. I told her about what's been going on (as mentioned in the previous paragraph) and she just took it all in and said she went through the same thing before. Then she asked what else was going on and I told her about the car and she just smiles and says... "You know, sometimes you just gotta buy yourself something nice to remind yourself why you are working so hard." To this day, that was some of the best advice I have ever received.

So now 4 years later, I'm about to pay off that car. It's barely more useful than a motorcycle and a world less than the other cars on the road but man, it's the best at being fun. And to this day, I'll walk up to it and my heart still beats as fast as the first time I saw it. And to this day, my blood rushes just as hard the first time I drove it. So to you, my dear friend:

You represent some of the toughest times in my life but, you also represent the turning point as well. You seen more than most ever will and you've always been good to me. You've always put a smile on my face and you always give me pride. So Soon... soon. You'll be all mine.