2019 was a year of learning for me. Whether it was mistakes I made myself, or listening to others on podcasts or videos. It was all about learning about business and growth for me as I wanted to digest as much as I could. My brain my as well be considered obese by the amount I took in.
There is always that one lesson that really stick with you though. One that just catches on and you take hold of it for the rest of your life. For me, that is carpe vitam. It’s a Latin phrase that means seize this life and while Latin is considered a dead language, this principle is still very much alive and well.
Many others may use the phrase carpe diem or carpe momentum which translate to seize the day and moment respectively. I like carpe vitam the best as it encompasses all of life. We only live a short while so take advantage of the time you have now.
I got this idea from a video I had watched that was about being an entrepreneur. In the video, the gentleman told the class in front of him to not become enslaved to their resumé. What does that mean, you ask? He explained to not just do the things that are on your resumé or the things you’re good at. If there is room to grow in another skill or opportunity to learn something new, always say yes and let your resumé grow. You’re only getting to increase your knowledge or meet new people.
So, for me, when I’m at any event, say for my book, I don’t want to be solely focused on selling copies of my novel. I don’t want to be enslaved to my resumé. There are other things I can do. I can network with other authors there to maybe learn other writing techniques. Maybe the conversation turns into sports and we connect that way and you gain a new friend. I’m also learning how to market better so maybe it turns into a conversation on how you can market books which I then could use to market other things better. And then they could introduce you to their marketing friend and you could learn from them. The opportunities are endless!
I recently put this philosophy into practice. I work in retail and had the opportunity to work at a different store than my own. Once I found that out, I was determined to learn something new. Get a different perspective from this new boss so I could use that in my growth in the company I work for. In the middle of my shift, I remembered that I had some extra copies of my book in my car so I was able to talk to some people and they were interested in buying a copy. My intention was to learn more about the company I work for but I also saw the opportunity of a new audience to sell a few copies of my book.
This is what I mean when I say carpe vitam. You never know who you will impact. Always be on the lookout for these opportunities to branch out!
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