A short time ago, about a week or so, I did a research project on the one and only Eleanor Roosevelt. While researching, I fell in love with a quote of hers. She once said, "Do one thing everyday that scares you." After reading the quote over and over again several times, I decided, "Why not try it?" So I put together a schedule.
Sun- Start my own website.
Mon- Smile at a stranger who looks sad.
Tues- Order a taco from McDonald's just to see what happens.
Wed- Stand up to the boy who broke my heart.
Thurs- Go see a movie alone.
Fri- Touch a sea creature.
Sat- Contact someone who I have lost.
Sun- Reflect.
The first Sunday was filled with confusion. I was very unsure on how to create a website, let alone get it out for people to see. Even though it has little to no content, I manged to create my very own website! You guys can check it out here: https://emileeknappen.wordpress.com/
Monday was the most rewarding day. I went to my local grocery store and saw a woman who looked very sad. I smiled at her and she smiled back at me. When I tell you that she had the biggest smile on her face for the rest of her shopping trip, it is no exaggeration. I cannot even begin to say how good it felt to make someone's day.
Tuesday was extremely embarrassing and comical. On my way home from a friend's house, I stopped at a McDonald's restaurant. In the drive through, the man asked me what I would like to order and I literally said "one taco and a large Fanta Orange" The man paused and I could hear him giggling to his coworkers. He then told me that they didn't sell tacos. When I drove up to the window, the man laughed as he repeated my order. I'm sure he will never forget that day.
I'm not going to lie, Wednesday was the hardest. I have been on and off with the same boy for about two years and he ended up breaking my heart for some other girl. Throughout our relationship, he would say things to me that would ruin my day and when we broke up, it had gotten even worse. So I messaged him. I asked why he was doing and saying these mean things when I hadn't done anything to him. Even though the day ended with blocked numbers and tears, it actually felt good to get the closure that I needed to move on with my life.
Thursday was very refreshing after the events of the previous night. I decided to have a "me day" and I went to go see "Love, Simon" It felt great to see it alone because I had no one to judge me for crying at the cute parts.
Friday was flat out weird. Ever since I can remember, my biggest fear has been water. I've barely gone farther than my ankles in the ocean, lakes, and ponds. While I do have pictures of me as a kid in the water, it makes me cringe. So I took a huge step and went to the aquarium! I actually found it pretty cool to see all the fish, considering they couldn't touch me. Then came the touching pool. About 50-100 sea creatures were in this little pool surrounded by little kids screaming. I walked to an opening and actually touched a star fish!! I'm so proud of myself for getting the courage to face a fear of mine.
Saturday was hard, but not as hard as Wednesday. Saturday evening, I reached out to an old family friend of mine who basically raised me. This subject is pretty hard to talk about so just bear with me. We had a falling out with this friend about 5 years ago and we haven't talked to him since. I decided to change that. What was supposed to be a "Hi, how are you?" turned into a few hour long conversation. It felt good to bring up the memories of the past. It felt even better to recognize that even when people come and go in and out of your life, some of them still have your back in the end.
The last day, Sunday, was filled with relaxation. I began writing all of my feelings about the prior week down and I eventually composed them into what you are reading right now. Everything comes back down to this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. The things that I accomplished this past week, I would never do on my own. This experience not only boosted my confidence, but it also lifted my self-esteem. So as this article comes to an end, I encourage all of you to do one thing each day that scares you.
