I was reading an article in my Sports Illustrated a few months ago, and for some reason the last paragraph really stood out to me. If you have followed along with my snide remarks this last year, you will know that I have become a big proponent of the phrase “Viva La Vida” in the sense of carpe diem. This paragraph was another example of someone in life wanting to live each day.
“I would love to win another World Series,” he says. “It seems like, yes, that was a long time ago. I don’t want to second-guess myself when I retire. I want to know that I did everything that I could possibly do for my teammates to give us a chance to win. If it didn’t happen, I don’t want it to be because I didn’t give it my best.”
“Every time I have a chance to pitch in the playoffs, it’s great to me. Because I know that one day, I won’t be able to do it. And so I want to take advantage of everything.”
I love how Mariano Rivera, even though he is extremely accomplished, still wants to take advantage of everything and not miss any opportunities.