Check in with your body. Are you holding any tension?

*I recorded this poem, and you can listen right here inside The Circle Of Freethinkers.

Am I at ease,
At ease in this moment?
Oof, there’s a question that stings sometimes,
Don’t it?

I thought that I was,
But now my neck is quite tight,
I’m clenching my jaw,
And something else… not quite right.

My shoulders are high,
My breathing is short.
I’m not relaxed at all,
No, nothing of the sort.

I’m frantic.
I’m thinking.
I’m racing.
I’m fried.

I’m wound up.
I’m bound up.
All ground up,
Inside.

Mind churns, heart burns,
But my fate is not sealed.
I have energy to lose,
Or power to wield.

For here is a choice,
A fork in the road.
On one path, I find peace…
On the other, I implode.

Do I continue the stampede,
And race to my death?
Or finally let it go,
And take one long, deep breath.

It’s no question at all,
This is my shot.
I’ve learned that feeling at ease,
Comes from noticing when I’m not.

Leave a comment

If this resonated, share the love with someone who could use it today.

Share

Until next time, Freethinkers… stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day 🙏

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company
Personal Freedom Coach, Creator of Self-Hospitality™ and The Extraordinary
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

“Let’s quit, sell all our shit, and move to the Caribbean!”

Alisa — my wife of two years — drops this bomb just as I’m crossing the threshold from the hallway into our modern Manhattan high-rise condo.

I walk across the wooden floors and glance out at the perfect New York City sunset — rays of gold and pink wrapping pier after pier along the Hudson River. A cruise ship fades into the veil of evening shade, along with the sightseeing boats… and the mighty U.S.S. Intrepid.

I plop down into the plush brown leather recliner — I’ll save the massage chair for later… after some wine.

We’re in for an interesting night.

“I take it you didn’t get it?” I ask — a question that needs no answer.

“No! This is the THIRD TIME!” Alisa is bursting.

“Then what?” I ask. I know there’s more. The energy is different this time — not like the first two, when the promotion was promised… then pulled away.

Smiling widely, she says, “I said ‘fuck you’ to my boss.”

Okay. This time it’s real.

Do I REALLY want to quit, sell everything, and move to the Caribbean?

I give it about twenty minutes.

Just enough time to remember that my favorite part of every day — for the past five years — has been my walk at lunch.

Well… that, and complaining to Alisa about how my favorite part of my day is my walk at lunch.

She knew my answer before I did.

I walk out of the bedroom and say the three words that change everything:

Fifteen years later…

I know this much:

It was never about the Caribbean.

It was about the moment we stopped negotiating with a life that didn’t feel true.

People think it’s the unknown that’s scary.

It’s not.

It’s the intolerable known —
the life you wake up to every day… knowing there’s more.

So if you’re feeling like a bird in a cage…

Welcome.

This is the moment you realize the cage was never locked.

Alisa helped me find the door — perhaps these words help you find yours.

Fly free.

Leave a comment

If this resonated, share the love with someone who could use it today.

Share

Until next time, Freethinkers… stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day 🙏

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company
Personal Freedom Coach, Creator of Self-Hospitality™, and The Extraordinary
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

what if
this is all a dream?
your entire life is
one night,
one dream,
that feels like one hundred years.
but it’s one night,
one dream.
just for fun.
just for The Dreamer.

“Just for The Dreamer”
by Mike Messeroff

Leave a comment

If this resonated, share the love with someone who could use it today.

Share

Until next time, Freethinkers… stay present, be pleasant, and have the best day of your life 🙏

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company
Personal Freedom Coach & Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

I knew an upstanding man,
Outstandingly good,
At carving creations,
And whittling wood.

He had dreams of a toyshop,
But oh so much more—
Every toy handmade,
Carved right there in the store!

He could envision it in his town,
But then ego and greed,
Whispered, grow bigger—
And you’ll finally be freed.

His dreams grew too fast,
Ambition spread like disease.
Some poor souls never,
Feel worthy of ease.

His beautiful dream,
Was dead on arrival.
Dreams don’t stand a chance,
When living in survival.

He never learned the lesson,
To follow his bliss.
Kept chasing the money,
Joy, forever, he’d miss.

In the end, he lost his savings,
Lost all that was real.
Now spends dusty days hunched over,
Whittling for his next meal.

“The Woodworker”
by Mike Messeroff

Leave a comment

If this resonated, share the love with someone who could use it today.

Share

Until next time, Freethinkers… stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day 🙏

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company
Personal Freedom Coach & Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

“I’ll take an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan, a glass of Cab, and a Coors Light.”
“Check please.”
“Can you make this sweeter?”
“Do you have change for a twenty?”
“Can you make this less sweet?”
“I’d like an order of escargot and truffle fries.”
“What’s the happy hour special?”
“What kind of coffee drinks can you make?
“Can I have more water please?”

Oh, just a normal ski-season Friday happy hour in Breckenridge, Colorado — inside the warm and cozy, buzzing and jam-packed saloon at the Briar Rose Chophouse…

And I’m in the zone.

Octopus arms in full effect — Shaking cocktails with a smile, topping up waters, serving dinners, slinging drinks for the entire restaurant, tallying checks, constantly tidying up, but then… in the middle of the rush… everything stops.

Because he walks in.

In his mid-eighties, yet still full of life and charisma, he warms the already-steaming saloon with his classic smile and a wave.

I leave the packed bar to deliver it to him personally with a fresh napkin, taking a few extra moments to say hello and grab a handshake from those rock-crushing paws.

Not just a Norwegian Olympic skier, one of the founders of Breckenridge ski resort, the creator of Ullr Fest, and an all-around legend…

Trygve Berge was also my friend.

Over the past decade or so, and despite being fifty years apart, nearly to the day, we enjoyed each other’s company immensely.

We went for walks around town, and up and down his mountain.
We shared conversations over many cups of coffee, often with Dave Lipka, making it a trio.
And we slowed down, laughed, and enjoyed life.

Trygve, you taught me how to stop and smell the flowers, literally.
You taught me that growing old doesn’t mean growing up.
And you taught me the importance of friendship — at any age.

I appreciate all you’ve done for my favorite sport.
I appreciate all you’ve done for Breckenridge, Colorado - a place I love dearly.
I appreciate our friendship and all you’ve taught me.

And I appreciate you, Tryg.

SKÅL!

Trygve Berge
(April 13, 1932 - April 2, 2026)

Leave a comment

If this resonated, share the love with someone who could use it today.

Share

Until next time, Freethinkers… stay present, be pleasant, and have the best day of your life 🙏

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company
Personal Freedom Coach & Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

I used to believe that freedom meant not having to work.

I was wrong.

With that belief in mind, I trudged through my days trying to follow a simple plan:

Step 1: Make money
Step 2: Retire early
Step 3: Have fun

So I started a business called I’m Not at Work.

Then — no joke — a blog called Mike’s Not At Work.

As you can imagine… my plan didn’t work.

I made very little money.
I didn’t retire early.
And I wasn’t having much fun.

Because there’s a fatal flaw in that belief.

If making money is the goal, then whatever I’m doing becomes just a means to an end.

And when I don’t love what I’m doing… what kind of work am I producing?

Mediocre work → Mediocre results → Mediocre life.

Only when you love what you do will you love what you create.

Now, I love my work — coaching, speaking, writing — so much so that I don’t want it to end.

Love what you do, and you’ll love how you spend your days.

And that’s how you build a life you actually love.

The goal of work isn’t to escape it.
It’s to find yourself in it.

Leave a comment

If this resonated, share the love with someone who could use it today.

Share

Until next time, Freethinkers… stay present, be pleasant, and have the best day of your life 🙏

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company
Personal Freedom Coach & Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Share

“If you don’t go… you’ll never know.” - A short story

Dave and I lived four houses apart as kids on Long Island —
but somehow, we were never friends.

It wasn’t until our mid-thirties,
after life had taken us in completely different directions,
that we serendipitously reconnected halfway across the country in Colorado.

And instantly…
became best friends.

Which makes me wonder — 

If Alisa and I had never moved to Colorado,
would Dave and I be best friends?

If we had never traveled the world,
would we have moved to Colorado?

If we had never quit our corporate jobs,
would we have traveled the world?

So much of what matters in my life now…
exists because we listened to something we couldn’t fully explain.

A pull.
A quiet knowing.
An uncomfortable sense of complacency.

If you’re feeling that right now — listen.

Most people don’t —
but you have no idea what’s waiting for you
on the other side of your doubts, your fears, your insecurities.

Maybe it’s great adventure.
Maybe it’s clarity and wisdom.
Or maybe it’s the kind of friendship that changes your life.

But one thing is certain —

If you don’t go…
you’ll never know.

Leave a comment

If this resonated, share the love with someone who could use it today.

Share

Until next time, Freethinkers… stay present, be pleasant, and make today the best day of your life 🙏

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company
High-Performance Personal Freedom Coach
Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Today, I share a love letter that I wrote to Alisa last month (we have been married for 16 years and polyamorous for 8 of them).

I believe that loving someone simply means wanting them to be joyful and fulfilled.

What do YOU believe? (and were your beliefs chosen… or given?)

Share

“Our Love Is” - A love letter

Our love is not just accepting you as you are,
But loving you BECAUSE of the way you are.
Not wanting to change you,
Loving all of you—
The quirks, the moods, the rising and falling tides of you…
And knowing you don’t want to change me.

Of course, we will change,
And we surely have changed.
But love remains.

Our love is unconditional,
That means NO conditions.
Not I’ll love you if A,
Or when B happens,
Or as long as X and Y.
No.
I love you even if you don’t please me,
Or need me,
Or love me.

I love you, not because you make me happy…
I love you for the simple fact that it makes me happy when you’re happy,
Even if your happiness has nothing to do with me.

You want to be with me and I want to be with you,
But I also want you to enjoy being with others,
And being alone…
Just being.
Exactly as you want for me.

I love you for all of you,
Sometimes moody and erratic, sometimes centered, usually dancing.
And always unique, adventurous, wild, and untamed.

Not the yin to my yang,
You are yin,
And you are yang.
As am I.

Our love is a celebration.

And I know you want nothing for me but my happiness,
Whether or not it involves you…
And that is not a pill most can swallow.
In this world of attachments, fears, insecurities, possessiveness, jealousy, and the needy, lackfulness of grasping for a you-complete-me romance.
You are complete, as you are — with or without me.
As am I, exactly as I am.

We are both cage breakers,
Shelters in the storm,
And open ears for all of our many, many ideas.
True soul mates choosing to enjoy this ride in each other’s company.
Independent and free, yet together,
And better for it.
Generating more love in this world because of our love.

Always bringing out the best in one another,
Often through the hardest conversations,
The toughest lessons,
And the image of each other we cannot yet see in ourselves.

Our love is.
No conditions.
All conditions.
Not because of anything.
Because of everything.

~~~ For Alisa Messeroff
By Mike Messeroff
Tamarindo, Costa Rica
February 14th, 2026

Leave a comment

If this resonated, share the love with someone who could use it today.

Share

Until next time, Freethinkers… stay present, be pleasant, and have the best day of your life 🙏

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company
High-Performance Personal Freedom Coach
Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Share

1 Creation From Me

“The only prison was my mind” — a poem

Life is out there, can’t you see?
But I’m stuck in here, and I must be free.

So off I flew, for adventure instead.
But I was still enslaved, inside my head.

Only when I stopped, did I find,
The only prison was my mind.

A glorious truth that allowed me to be,
The only thing I ever wanted… to be free.

Share

1 Quote From Another

Spiritual teacher and bestselling author Michael Singer — known for The Untethered Soul and The Surrender Experiment — offers this insight on inner freedom:

“The moment you stop reacting to the mind, you are free.”

Source: The Untethered Soul

1 Question For You

Can you notice a thought without believing it?

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach
Founder of The Self-Hospitality Collective
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Share

1 Creation From Me

“The Gates of Heaven Will Be Locked Tomorrow” - A short story

I creak my eyes open to blinding beams of sunlight —
instantly igniting a fuse of half-asleep rage.

My focus then drifts to the fast-asleep human next to me.
She forgot to close the curtains last night.

A dog barks in the distance.

Moments later — on perfect cue — my dog retaliates with an ear-piercing arsenal of yips and yelps.

I toss the heavy covers off in a sweaty huff.

My body is waking up, but my mind takes the wheel —
and drives us full speed into the dark, spiraling mode of “then it will be worth it”.

Just a few more months until the community launches — then it will be worth it.
After this next big speech — then it will be worth it.
Once I launch a group coaching program — then it will be worth it.

Worth what?
Well, worth sacrificing the present moment — of course.

Then they’ll be more generous.
Then they’ll feel alive.
Then they’ll really enjoy life.

In the torrent of overthinking, my mind cracked.

As if the self-induced suffering shook something loose.
As if a voice, whispering at first, then louder and louder, called out to me to “WAKE UP.”
As if Apollo Creed himself was screaming in my ear, those four words he yelled out in Rocky III:
“There is no tomorrow!”
“There is no tomorrow!”
“There is no tomorrow!”

In an instant, I am shaken awake.

Everything is the same, but different.

The blaring light through the window has softened into crystal rays, and the cotton candy sky now illuminates our home. Poetry in motion.

The human beside me has transformed into my beautiful, loving wife.
My life partner.
My best friend.
Snoozing peacefully… healthfully… right here beside me.

The yelping dog is now my sweet Yorkie, Lela —
a ball of unconditional love and perpetually high vibes —
snuggled between my legs,
under our luxurious comforter,
while the AC has kept us cool all night long.

Love, all around — because love is our natural state.
Joy, all around — because we are meant to enjoy our lives.
Heaven, all around — because heaven is now… or heaven is never.

With a deep breath, I feel tremendous gratitude.

I now know where I am, today.
And I now know that the gates of heaven will be locked tomorrow.

Share

1 Quote From Another

17th-century Japanese Zen master Hakuin Ekaku says this about heaven on earth:

“Nirvana is here, before your eyes.”

Source: Song of Zazen

1 Question For Your Soul

How would heaven feel — and what does that feeling inspire you to do?

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach + Speaker
Creator of The Self-Hospitality Collective
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Connect with me (@mikemesseroff) on your favorite social media platforms, including Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. For speaking inquiries, collaborations, questions, or anything else, email me.

Special Announcement — Our January Reset Room is happening inside The Self-Hospitality Collective on Wednesday, January 7th. It’s called “Begin Anew: Welcome to the Year of Self-Hospitality” — RSVP inside our free community for hospitality leaders: theselfhospitalitycollective.com

Take a deep breath.

Here is 1 creation, 1 quote, and 1 question to consider this week.

Share

1 Creation From Me

“A Question From a 9-Year-Old That Stopped Time” - A short story

We were talking about where my mom should live.

“I like Long Island,” she said. “I have friends there. And the beaches are beautiful in the summer.”

“Yeah,” my niece Lucy said, “but the beaches are beautiful all year here, Grandma.”

Mom smiled. “And I’d be close to you in Florida.”

I asked, “But Mom—where do you want to live?”

“Wherever I can be close to family or friends,” she said without hesitation.

Then Lucy asked,
“Where would you live if you had no family or friends?”

Silence filled the room.

Share

1 Quote From Another

American mythologist, lecturer, and storyteller Joseph Campbell on authentic living:

“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are — Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”

Source: From The Power of Myth

1 Question For You

It’s simple this week — or maybe not. As you begin the year anew, answer Lucy’s question:
“Where would you live if you had no family or friends?”

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach
Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Share

1 Creation From Me

“The Original Freethinking Jew” - A poem

Happy birthday, Jesus—
The Original Freethinking Jew.
It didn’t feel right to you either,
When they said God‘s outside of you.

You told us the truth,
And where to begin.
The most empowered knowing:
God is within.

“All I can do,” you said,
“You can do, too.
“I am that I am…
And so are you.”

So happy birthday, JC,
Thank you for your freethinking ways,
For being love, light, and liberation,
That brightens all of our days.

Share

1 Quote From Another

From the birthday boy himself:

“The kingdom of God is within you.”

Source: Knowing Jesus

1 Question For Your Soul

How do you maintain a DIRECT connection with the Source of all being?

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach + Speaker
Creator of The Self-Hospitality Collective
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Connect with me (@mikemesseroff) on your favorite social media platforms, including Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. For speaking inquiries, collaborations, questions, or anything else, email me.

Share

1 Creation From Me

“Why does generosity feel SO good?” - A short story

I was walking at the Saturday market here in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, and picked up a bag of clementines — three big, nice big clementines.

Taking a shortcut to the other end of the market, there was a man lying on the ground with half a leg, in the middle of the sidewalk. And as I’m walking past, he’s staring at me, and I’m staring at him.

And I realized, the old version of me might’ve just walked by — or maybe even got upset.

But this time, I just looked at him in his eyes and asked if he wanted a clementine.

He lit up.

Then he sat right up, took the fruit, and started peeling it and eating it with the biggest smile on his face.

And I walked away… and pretty much lost it.

This work of being generous isn’t hard.

It doesn’t take a lot.

I know that he needed a Clementine, but he also needed someone to just look at him, give him some respect, pay him some dignity, and treat him like a fellow human being.

It doesn’t take much, and I know it felt good for him.

Clearly, it felt good for me too.

It doesn’t have to be giving something tangible… it could just be a smile, or recognition, or holding the door for someone, or just treating someone with a little more kindness who might look a little different.

So I ask you, how could you be a little more generous in your life? Use it as an experiment — I’m just blown away at how good it feels to be more generous.

I’d love to hear about your own experiences as well.

Share

1 Quote From Another

American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou answers the question about why it feels so good to give:

“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”

Source: The Sweetness of Charity

1 Question For Your Soul

How can you be more generous today — and how does it make you FEEL?

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach + Speaker
Creator of The Self-Hospitality Collective
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Connect with me (@mikemesseroff) on your favorite social media platforms, including Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. For speaking inquiries, collaborations, questions, or anything else, email me.

Share

1 Creation From Me

“Who am I?” - A poem

Who am I,
Without this name or these beliefs?
A wave washes over.
An eruption of relief.
Beyond these roles,
fears, and identity,
Something exists.
It allows me to see,
To hear and to taste,
To smell, touch, and think,
To love and to hate,
To eat, sleep, and drink.
Always here,
Beyond emotions and sensation,
Always here,
The source of peace and elation.
Always here,
A joyful emanation.
I am the energy experiencing life,
And as am I, so are you,
Each of us, God-in-disguise,
Simply wearing something new.

Share

1 Quote From Another

Radical spiritual teacher, Jiddu Krishnamurti, urged humanity to awaken through direct perception, inner freedom, and the ending of psychological conditioning:

“If I tell you who I am, what does it matter. ...It is like reading a menu at the window, you have to go into the restaurant and eat food. But merely standing outside and reading the menu won’t satisfy your hunger.”

Source: theimmeasurable.org

1 Question For Your Soul

What remains when you strip away everything that was given to you — such as your name, religion, beliefs, education, roles, nationality, personal history, accomplishments, judgments, inherited fears, and societal conditioning?

*Hint: Something remains. Instead of trying to name it, try to FEEL it.

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach + Speaker
Creator of The Self-Hospitality Collective
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Connect with me (@mikemesseroff) on your favorite social media platforms, including Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. For speaking inquiries, collaborations, questions, or anything else, please email me.

Share

1 Creation From Me

“The Ache of the Muted Soul” - A poem

Once upon a time, I wrote,
A happy kid with paper and pen,
But something changed and so I stopped,
In thirty years, I’d write again.

For all those years, I lost more than writing,
I lost myself and I lost my worth,
Decades spent racing around,
Trying to find what was mine since birth.

It was hard being a creative,
Trapped in the shell of a businessman,
My soul ached as muted souls do,
But the universe had a bigger plan.

Turns out thirty years wasn’t wasted,
It was fuel to ignite the rhyme.
Turns out there were no mistakes at all,
Market research takes some time.

And if I can do it, so can you,
Go with the flow and stop the fight.
Never die with your music inside,
Because a writer has to write.

A painter must paint, a singer must sing,
A dancer must flutter their feet.
For when your soul is calling — and you answer,
Nothing ever tasted so sweet.

So go claim what’s yours, it’s been long enough,
And it will be oh so worth the wait.
Because we are human, and we are creators,
And creators must create.

Share

1 Quote From Another

Spanish painter, sculptor, and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso, says this about our innate creativity:

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

Source: Time Magazine

1 Question For Your Soul

What hidden, repressed, or even forgotten creative joy can I tap into in my life... right now?

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach + Speaker
Creator of The Self-Hospitality Collective
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Connect with me (@mikemesseroff) on your favorite social media platforms, including Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. For speaking inquiries, collaborations, questions, or anything else, please email me.

Share

1 Creation From Me

“Thank You, You” - A poem

Have you ever stopped
and said “Thank you”… to you?
Just think of all the shit
you’ve been through.

You’re the one who defends you
when your mind attacks,
It’s why we have hands
that can pat our own backs.

There’s only one author
writing your book.
It’s the only one that you see
in the mirror, just look.

The only one who will share
your very first breath,
and the very last one
at your moment of death.

I know you can find,
more ways to be kind,
to the one who’s behind,
your body and mind.

Say “Thank you” to you,
for all the shit you’ve been through,
and ‘cause you’re amazing —
It’s time YOU feel that way, too.

Share

1 Quote From Another

The glorious poet and spiritual leader Rumi says this about inward recognition and our divine nature:

“You who seek God apart, apart,
The thing you seek, thou art, thou art;
If you want to see the beloved’s face,
Polish the mirror, gaze into that space.”

Source: Divan of Shams

1 Question For You

How can you can find more ways to be kind,
To the one who’s behind your body and mind?

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach
Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Share

1 Creation From Me

“Life takes time” — a story

I recently caught up with my cousin after a “coincidental” butt dial led to a really nice chat.

(Side note: THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES.)

He and I talked while I walked with my dog Lela to one of our favorite beachside coffee shops to do some writing—and yes, I said OUR favorite beachside coffee shops...

If Lela’s happy, I’m typically pretty happy too.

My cousin asked what I’d done that morning, and I said, “It doesn’t seem like a lot, but it was a full morning. I stretched and ate some breakfast, then beach time with Lela, meditation, a few other practices—and lots of fetch with Lela’s rubber ducky…of course.”

(Side note #2: Seeing a 7-pound Yorkie sprinting in and out of tide pools with a pink duck in her mouth—grinning and wagging her tail—is just about one of the most adorable things you could ever imagine. Talk about vibe-raising.)

I continued, “Then I went home for some lunch, listened to a Wayne Dyer lecture, and then grabbed Lela and headed back out...”

Then the following three words seemed to just pop out:

“Life takes time.”

Think about it, to truly enjoy life—from a conversation to a cup of coffee to a sunset—it takes time. We cannot live it on 2x speed, nor would we want to.

How often are we trying to get through everything as quickly as possible?

We race through meals, try to end conversations quickly—or avoid them altogether, and look at the most important things in life as obstacles to our productivity or, even worse, nuisances.

Life that is enjoyed takes time—the time to actually enjoy it.

But, here’s the kicker:

Life that is NOT enjoyed also TAKES TIME. It steals it every moment that you are lost in thought, rushing around on autopilot, angry, frustrated, blaming, complaining, gossiping, depressed, anxious, and so on...

Life takes time either way. So you may as well take the time to enjoy it.

Thanks for that butt dial, cuz ;)

Share

1 Quote From Another

Philosopher, author, and speaker Alan Watts says that if we don’t enjoy life we will destroy life:

“Talking about utopia today is no longer a sort of wishful fantasy, it’s a grim necessity. There is no alternative except utopia to the direction which we are on presently, the direction of destruction. We’ve got to have the nerve…to stand up and say: yes, we’re going to enjoy ourselves as much as possible.”

Source: Lecture on January 10, 1968 at Longshoreman’s Hall, San Francisco

1 Question For You

What is ONE thing you can do today slowly, consciously and without trying to rush through it?

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach
Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Share

1 Creation From Me

“What I chose to believe at 13” — a true story

Standing there, in front of just about everyone I knew at the ripe age of thirteen, I became a man.

That’s according to Jewish law.

Almost immediately, after I sent the final “Thanks for coming to my Bar Mitzvah” card, I became the antithesis of Jewish law…

An atheist.

Every authority figure in my life had been saying, “Congrats, Mike! You’re a man now.”

So, I decided, as a man, that it was time to make my own decisions.

I didn’t need to continue believing something today that I had believed yesterday.

And, wow, that felt like freedom.

These days, I continue to make new decisions all the time—and all because of that profound realization I had at thirteen: WE GET TO CHOOSE OUR BELIEFS.

The beliefs I hold now come from nature—not the news.
…they come from presence—not projections.
…and they come from the dreams—not the dread.

My 13-year-old self knew an eternal truth that I honor today:

I cannot serve others if I don’t stay connected to what I’m serving. Therefore, I must choose my own truths—and choose them wisely.

Share

1 Quote From Another

American author and speaker Wayne Dyer on filling your own cup first:

“You can't give away what you don't have.”

Source: YouTube

1 Question For You

How do you stay connected to the feelings you’d like to share with the world—despite the feelings the world seems to be sharing with you?

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach
Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Share

1 Creation From Me

“Clocking in for the shift” — a poem

I enter the front door,
My heart starts to race.
Into the saloon,
Palms sweat—I’m flush in the face.
So I rush past the bar,
Into the bathroom, to the faucet.
I splash the cool water,
Just in time—I almost lost it.
A quick chat with Miss Monroe,
Hanging beside my dripping brow.
She calms me down and says “Hang in there.
You're gonna make it through somehow.”
A quick maneuver to my safe zone,
My home behind the bar,
And now a nip of Irish whiskey.
That green bottle’s never far.
Sometimes I feel I'm numbing down emotions,
Could I be dumbing down my gift?
One day, I'll listen for an answer.
But it's time to clock in for the shift.

Share

1 Quote From Another

American author, speaker, and spiritual guide Abraham Hicks on keeping up with your alignment:

"If life causes you to become something and you don't let yourself go, you don't feel good ... All negative emotion is about life causing you to become something, and the larger part of you becoming, and the physical part of you not going."

Source: YouTube

1 Question For You

Are you treating your emotions as interruptions—or as guidance?

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach
Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend

Share

1 Creation From Me

“Famous last words” — a poem

If these are my last words to say,
I say stop wasting time and seize the day.
Don’t wallow in pity, despair, or sorrow.
Would you really waste time if there were no tomorrow?
What would you do? Who would you call?
Would you feel joy if this were the end of it all?
Because one day it will be, and you’re the one who will know,
If you followed your heart—and made the most of this show.

Share

1 Quote From Another

Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius on the fleeting nature of life and the importance of present-moment awareness:

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do, and say, and think.”

Source: Meditations

1 Question For You

What would you do if this were your last day?
Even though it’s (probably) not, can you do it anyway?

If this resonated, pass it along to someone who might need it today. Let’s grow this circle!

Share

Until next time, freethinkers…stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day!

Mike Messeroff
Founder of The Carpe Diem Company + Personal Freedom Coach
Creator of Self-Hospitality
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend