Lance Phillips • July 07, 2026
I recently returned from a week at the North Carolina coast. Having unstructured time to recognize the small place each of our lives occupies within the larger movements of life around us is essential to a stable and balanced worldview. This kind of unfettered contemplation can lead to feelings of doubt or, even, disappointment with one’s life choices. Addressing both personal “achievement” and community contribution can lead to feeling fulfilled, to a sense of purpose, and even to modeling engagement for those around you. In the last month I’ve heard three different people say that it’s too late to make a change that would lead to happiness. The great thing about committing to personal change, and thereby committing to changing the inter-personal waters around you, is that it’s never too late.
Many of you are familiar with the latin phrase “Carpe Diem”, or its translation, “Seize the day!” The movie Dead Poets Society, popularized the phrase and the attitude. The sentiment was popularized and often attributed to the Roman poet Horace. Here’s the line from Horace, “Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero,” meaning “Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow.” Of course, this isn’t suggesting that you should be reckless, just that there is no perfect moment to act. If you want to see justice or kindness or fairness in the world, you must act now to make those things happen.
As we get older, I think it is easy to feel ineffectual and overwhelmed. It’s easy to feel like a spectator. But, if we are to take Horace at face value, there is never a wrong time to act, to speak up, to model kindness. In fact, each season of life offers its own particular lens through which to bring into focus the events around us. Here’s what John Keats said in his poem “To Autumn”:
“…[T]hou hast thy music too,—” the lens of autumn is not the lens of spring, but it is every bit as illuminating. Embrace the chance to help shape the world.
Finally, a quick story. While at the beach my son and wife were watching the sunset on the balcony. They excitedly burst into the living to call my daughter and I out to see it. In the few moments it took us to get to the balcony the sun had plunged below the horizon. The light was breath-taking, but the sun itself was out of sight. We’d missed it. Moments are fleeting. Having the courage to speak up, or out, to do something, never expires. Let’s all acknowledge our music and let it lead to a better world.
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