I grew up watching films like Dead Poets Society, where my mind was mesmerized by the term carpe diem. The film made me aware of my mortality and spurred me to live my life to the fullest while I still could. My young self was eager to seize the day and make the most of my present time.

As the teacher in Dead Poets Society, Keating, played by Robin Williams, espoused,

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”

During my teen years, I was firm in standing up for what I believed in and using my voice for good, and did not succumb to peer pressure or herd mentality. Keating said, “Poetry, beauty, romance, love… these are what we stay alive for,” so I tried not to get bogged down in the mundane of everyday living.

I realized early in life that while we need to work and earn money to buy those shiny things, we must also celebrate the passions that drive us and acknowledge the importance of love, romance, and beauty in our lives.

My early enchantment with the ideas sparked in that film led me to Thoreau’s philosophy in my adult life. I have taken to Thoreau’s philosophy to suck out all the marrow of life. Through Thoreau, I learned the term “to live deliberately.”

Thoreau believed in the individual’s ability to see right from wrong, independent of societal norms. He refused to meet external expectations if they varied from his view of how to live his life — much like Keating not wanting his students to be held back by preconceived notions.

While Thoreau took to a cabin in the woods beside Walden Pond to learn to live intentionally, I try to do so in the middle of the city. “Living intentionally” means deciding daily to live the life I want and making conscious decisions to enhance my life and remove what clutters and distracts me. Stress and negative thoughts have no place in my world.

Through mindful living, I have come to live with awareness in the here and now. I take care of my actions, words, and feelings to ensure that I live a good and present life. It’s all about not letting life pass you by. Celebrating life over death is the true essence of living.

And I believe my existence is more than doing everyday things. I want to think that I live life by and large for myself and as a means of benefiting others. If I can put a smile on an old lady’s face, wipe away the tears of a hungry child, or join a group of volunteers to feed the homeless, then that is what I will do or where you will find me.

Giving of myself, whether it be time, money, or possessions, is where I truly find peace, happiness, and feel alive. I make conscious choices to leave a smaller carbon footprint. For example, I am into the 3 R’s: Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse. I prefer solar power to energy obtained from coal.

It may be baby steps, but I believe in taking one intentional action at a time toward supporting long-term sustainability.

Yeah, I work, but my work does not define me or any title given to me. I work to put food on the table and contribute towards the roof over our heads. I work to give my children a solid education and quality of life.

But I get the most joy knowing that I live in the moment — intentionally and deliberately, seizing opportunities that present themselves. I grab them with both hands, knowing I may have a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

When my newborn son and I were parted too soon, I channeled my sorrow into a positive outcome by raising funds to build wells in impoverished countries because water is life. My son’s legacy will live on even after I am no more.

Ultimately, people are not measured by race, age, gender, or experience. It is about what they have accomplished. As Keating said: “Seize the day, boys. Make your life extraordinary.”

We can all turn our ordinary lives into extraordinary ones by letting love lead the way. A good dose of empathy and compassion certainly helps make the world better. It has for me.