Carpe Diem

'What's for you won't go by you'

Ahhh the old adage! Carpe Diem. Seize the day. It sounds like something surfers would say in a film or perhaps someone who doesn't fully grasp how adulting works. Can you actually "seize the day" when you have bills to pay or a family, or more often than not; both?

Let me add some context to the question. I'm currently sat on a Norwegian airlines flight from London Gatwick to Los Angeles. Mary and I are starting our very long awaited holiday of road tripping in a convertible mustang and surfing Hawaii. Sounds like seizing the day to me, and in some respects it is. We're doing it. That's a start. But in actuality it has been meticulously planned over the last six months and is hardly a spur of the moment decision that would fit more snugly with the concept of seizing what is presented in front of you on a particular day or in a particular moment.

I think about this a lot. Is there a balance between being a responsible adult and allowing yourself just a small glimmer of pure excitement every now and then by accepting that last minute invitation to do something out of the ordinary, or book a holiday on the spur of the moment. Does it even need to involve a financial aspect. Could it be to sit down and write that book you've been talking about writing or ask the person you've liked for a long time out on that date.

All of the above involve taking some kind of step or risk that may or may not work out. And it's scary to take risk as an adult. It's uncomfortable. But it might be the best decision we ever make.

The reason I'm writing all of this is because I have recently been presented with an opportunity with odds so infinitesimally small, that I had to write a blog about it and explain why I'm seizing the day whether it works out or not.

As you may know, 2 months ago we dipped our toes in to the scary world of vlogging and YouTube. We set up a channel and began documenting our journey, whatever that meant. For inspiration I searched for YouTubers I could identify with in some way. That I could learn from in some fashion. That inspired me to continue on my journey. And I hit on 3 in particular that just clicked with me as a person.

The first was Casey Neistat, an American living in New York. Cool as f*ck and with a motto of “do what can't be done” immediately struck a cord. Possibly the best story teller on YouTube. He has made it with 10 million followers. But still seems like a very nice guy with laser focus and a very strong sense of identity. Next was Peter McKinnon, a master cinematographer that makes everything look stunning and with a great personality to match. Lots of tutorials from him as well as sprinklings of his life story in there. He has blown up and currently has 2.2 million followers at the time of writing. 

The last YouTuber is someone I discovered more recently, through Peter McKinnon. An American from Harrisburg Pennsylvania by the name of Cody Wanner (pronounced to sound like honour). I started following him about a month ago after I saw him in one of Peters videos. When I started following him he had 3,000 followers, he's currently at 33,000 and is blowing up as I watch his journey.

He's a high energy guy with an all in attitude to taking opportunity and building on momentum. The moment the collaboration video with Peter McKinnon dropped, Cody was trying to figure out how he can capitalise on the momentum gained from this opportunity. He was seizing the day and going all in. So far, it has paid off big time. He was YouTube creator on the rise the other day and I can just see him going on and on. He is easy to watch, infectious, joyful and humble. His videos revolve around him being here for the doers among us, to motivate and help. He daily vlogs his life and has been since 1/1/18.

And that is where the whole seize the day question or perhaps more appropriate would be serendipitous opportunity has arisen.

Cody started with 100 followers but firmly believed there is no such thing as a small creator because creation by its very essence is huge. To create and be called small is an oxymoron. So he started a hashtag #nosmallcreator and a group of individuals around it. The creators on YouTube with less of a following but still trying to do their thing.

I'm one of them and proud to be so. I'm so proud of our journey so far and I'm learning all of the time (which I love). Our vlogs are getting more coherent with time, our message is being articulated more well good (little joke there), my editing and story telling skills are improving. In short the journey is amazing.

And the journey brings me here. 

I have been to LA twice before. Once 8 years ago and once 15 years ago. For a sum total of 7 days ever. This trip we are here for about a day and a half. The only full day being Wednesday.

Cody Wanner is currently travelling down the west coast for, I believe, just 1 week collaborating with and meeting creators. He has organised a meet up for anyone in the no small creator group in Beverley Hills on, yes you guessed it, Wednesday. The very definition of Serendipity.

I was literally speaking to Mary about 3 days previous to finding this out about wanting to meet him and just chat for a bit. Pick his brains. Compare messages and just chew the fat. Then this happened.

I worked it out based on having been to LA once 8 years ago and probably won't be back again for a while at least. Say another 8 purely for arguments sake. The chances of me being in LA when another person who is also not from LA is there and then meeting them is about 0.017% maybe substantially less.

One of Mary's best friends lives in LA and we are also visiting her on Wednesday so it will be a balancing act but I HAVE to take this opportunity to perhaps learn from or at least meet and have a coffee with someone I totally respect and am enjoying watching his star rise.

There are others from the community there too that perhaps I could collaborate on projects with. There is at least one other teacher/vlogger going. The possibilities are so exciting.

I could quite easily have seen this opportunity and dismissed it or thought it was too complicated to do.  But although I'm not religious at all, a wise wise Scottish man (my buddy John) once said to me (when Mary and I were in the midst of unsuccessfully trying to have children) “what's for you won't go by you”.

That phrase has stuck with me ever since. It's a bit que sera, whatever will be, but it's simple and allows me to believe that there are possibilities and opportunities out there and I have to be ready to take that leap when they arise. To go all in. So that, at the end of my life, I'll be glad I took a punt whether it worked out or not. 

Much rather that than sit there in my rocking chair (that I'm assuming I'm going to own) wishing I did make some vlogs or that I did go to that meet up with Cody Wanner. I'm sure I will have regrets in my life but I'm making it my mission to limit them to an absolute minimum by seizing the day. When opportunity knocks I will be ready.

By the time you read this I will have hopefully met Cody and there is even a slim possibility Peter McKinnon will be there too. If this happens you may not hear from me for a while. Meeting 2 people that inspire me and drive me to be better may just be too much. Possible vegetative state ahead.

So if an opportunity presents itself to you, big or small. Take it if you feel it's right. Better to look back satisfied you took the chances presented than rue the ones you didn't.

Like that guy with the cool tattoo; live life with “no ragrets”