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Only recently have I begun to toy with this new word in my vocabulary—bold. Why, might you ask? Well, because I’ve lived a very uneventful life.
The basic Google definition of “bold” is “showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous”. A lot of great things have happened to me in my life, don’t get me wrong, but some things never turned out the way I imagined or at least dreamed them to. I live a life full of commitments and organization, yet I feel something inside of me has to come out.
I need to roar. Insert Katy Perry song.
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR.
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All jokes aside, I read my good friend Mykala Matheny’s recent Her Campus DePaul article about being spontaneous, and I got inspired. It’s right here if you’re interested. The thing about spontaneity is that it just happens as you go with the flow. Well, this past spring break I made a lot of choices with my best friend at my side. Similar to Mykala’s road trip journey, my best friend and I went on an unplanned beach vacation to Miami.
Her and I decided not to plan a single thing. We were not going to let planning out the details stress us out before the trip. Once we got there, we felt empowered from not having other people plan our trip or telling us where or when to go do things. Not having an idea of what to do made the possibilities endless.
It felt so empowering to be alone and do whatever the hell we wanted. We found great beaches, explored the art deco city, ate some great seafood, saw a manatee, and I even got a tattoo. These things wouldn’t have happened if we had decided on things or places to go to beforehand. This was only one of the many realizations regarding my newfound boldness and my love for adventure. Â
Maybe it’s the inner leo in me trying to shine through, or maybe I have just been so cautious and stubborn to just let life happen, but I was unable to see it until now. I’m naturally an anxious person, and like many others, anxiety runs deep in my core. I used to worry so much that I would stop myself from trying things and getting out of my comfort zone, and then regret it later because my sister or friend did it and had a blast. Something like that. I have a phobia of missing opportunities because I never took the risk.
I try to be bolder in my decision making because I know that nothing can really hurt me if I don’t try. Or try for that matter. Maybe it’s talking to that soft spoken kid in class, inviting a friend out to a comedy bar, actively participating in a class discussion, or putting yourself out there in a way you never thought of. Little things like that can make all the difference.
No one is going to hate you or hurt you. Don’t let your mind protect you from rejection and humiliation. Ask yourself, “If I let my mind take over and protect me from all the possibilities and joys of life, then is it really worth living?”
I don’t mean to be a downer, but like myself and many others I’ve met, we miss chances to roar due to anxiety. We miss chances to be ourselves and I’m done letting other people decide that for me. You don’t have to make incredibly rash and unpractical decisions, but I do ask that the reader of this post stops worrying about the who, the what, the where, the when, and the whys of things. Just do it.
Why live a life full of missed roars?
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