We do not remember Days... We remember Moments.
- Cesare Pavese
When we merely exist, the days pass as the pages of a blank book; mundane and ordinary with nothing worth recording. When you hold onto grudges or regrets, you fill your mental diary with days that will hinder your personal growth. There is no time to stop and ponder on what is past. History will teach you what not to do but if you look only behind you and not towards your future, you are stuck in a rut. Life isn't worth living unless it is one full of variety such that the days pass by in a blur and only the richest moments are captured eternally in the mind and heart.
Caution is the main driver of the rational mind: the basic human condition yields to the law of nature, resulting in the "survival of the fittest"; once in awhile, there are those of us -though ordinary- who manage to achieve great things, like the select few Modern-Day-Titans.
One will find that in finding one's way in the world, oft-times, it pays to be part of the herd; in the words of the Japanese: "A nail that sticks out will be hammered into place". We choose to take the road more travelled because we fear hardship and we doubt our on capabilities. It is the innate modesty, instilled in those particularly of the Asian culture, that sometimes cripples our chance to optimize the opportunities presented to us in life. Humility is a trait sought-after and admired in my culture.
The Western World is sometimes perceived by their other counterparts, as a selfish culture that centers around the self. They do not follow the Asian customs where family bonds hold strong even to the extended family, where children are taught the important lessons of fillial piety. Yet, this does not make the Westerners a brash, uneducated lot; Self-promotion may come across as rudeness to the Asians but it is sometimes necessary, especially if you need to convince others why they should hire you for a job. This is a skill that I do not quite have a grasp of and in a very recent scenario, was a rather uncomfortable experience that I had to go through.
Sometimes, I wonder if Asian pragmatism may lead us to playing it a little too safe, making life though peaceful and uneventful, a little boring and devoid of excitement. In fleeting moments of spontaneity, we flirt with the idea of
Carpe Diem but then, reality sets in and our supposed flights of fancy are really nothing more than thinly-disguised calculated risks.
Memento Mori...Remember one day we all must die.
When faced with the mortality of our lives, does it not teach you that life is too short to worry about what others think of you or to spend too much time considering the many risks you take in every decision of your life.
The hardest thing to do is practice what you preach; It doesn't help that insecurities and fear are the twin guards that often serve as a barrier that prevents you from taking that first step. But if you can really learn to follow a mantra for life, this one is a good one:
Live everyday as if it were your last day because one day it will be. 
