Nothing scares me more than the unknown. There is something so unsatisfying about knowing something could go wrong at any given second. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been hesitant about saying yes to things I wasn't sure about. My stepdad used to constantly push me to go out and enjoy myself but for some reason, I thought to shelter myself from the world around me could keep me from getting hurt. But it didn't. My constant excuses to plans and lack of ability to say yes led me to feel lower than I ever had before.
This past summer I made a promise to myself that I would start saying yes more. I was determined to make this past summer the best one of my life and I knew that making excuses wouldn't help me to achieve that goal. No longer did I have to worry about heavy workloads or college applications. It was my time to break out and adventure into the world. And although I caught myself saying yes a little more than I should have, I was the happiest I had ever been.
When it came time for me to leave for college I decided I was going to keep this same mindset. Moving to Orlando was a whole new experience for me. I was completely on my own in a new city where I knew nothing and nobody except a few familiar faces from high school. The first few weeks were intimidating, but pushing myself to say yes helped to make adjusting to my new life easier than ever. Saying yes those first few weeks brought me close to the greatest friends I could have possibly asked for and taught me more than I could have ever learned in the classroom. It's the 2 a.m. Walmart runs, random day trips to anywhere on the map, and nights spent out with people I love that I will never forget. So far, the best memories I have made at UCF have been from stepping out of my comfort zone and being a little spontaneous.
Now, I'm not saying that I say yes to everything, nobody should. Knowing when to say no is just as important as knowing when to say yes. You shouldn't exhaust and overwork yourself while trying to do something that is supposed to be beneficial for you. Self-care days are important and a little bit of alone time is crucial for your health. You still need to study hard, but make sure you make some memories along the way.
Saying yes is crucial to creating new memories and learning more about the world. Although it can be scary, taking risks is a part of life. Even if the plans don't go as expected, you will learn something out of them. The world has so much to offer and is waiting to be explored, but you'll never get to experience it from sitting on the sidelines. It's time for you to jump in the game. Don't get me wrong, I love laying in bed and watching Netflix just as much as the next girl does but I know that it won't do anything for me in the end. Yes is a small world but it can do great things. So next time you're presented with a plan you're unsure about take a step back and say yes.
