2013: My Year to Say, "Yes, I will...."

Most of you have probably seen Yes Man (2008) with Jim Carey and Zooey Deschanel.  What I took away from this movie is this:  Say yes sometimes, even if you don't want to, are scared to, or don't know what you're getting yourself into.  Only by being present in your own life and living in the moment are you really alive.  Similarly, most of you have seen Pay It Forward.  Along those lines, you've probably heard, seen, or taken part in a "random acts of kindness" movement.

Combining the messages/lessons/morals of these two films, I recently decided to make my personal mantra for this year, "Don't say, 'No.'  Just go!"  In other words, I will be saying, "Yes," to many types of things:  1) On Tuesday night in my Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts class, I said, "Yes," when all three students in my row in the computer lab could not pull up a website (the substitute spelled it wrong and didn't figure out why most of the class was lost).  Today while volunteering for the MLK Day of Service at NOVA, I said, "Yes," to helping clean up, break down, and load the truck.  I also said, "Yes," when the Stop Hunger Now representative asked if I was available to volunteer on a regular basis and am now a registered go-to volunteer (which has the potential to lead to a paying job, hooray!).

For those of you who have seen Yes Man, I am not going to take the mantra anywhere near as literally as Jim Carey's character.  No need to fret over me becoming overcommitted.  Rather, I am going to say, "Yes!" to:  parties, concerts, theater performances, dinners, in-home sales parties (these can be a lot of fun), new experiences, breaking out of my comfort zone, and becoming a person I am proud of.  This year, I am challenging myself to be more present in my own life, actively engage with people I meet, make new friends, and strengthen bonds with friends and family.

Life is too short to let it fly by without enjoying it or actively participating in it.  I have already lost many years, opportunities, and successes for various reasons.  I've been a couch surfer, wallflower, and observer long enough.  Judging by the life spans of my ancestors, I have likely lived about 40% of my life.  Put another way, I wish I had more to show for the years I have been converting oxygen into carbon dioxide and water vapor.  By doing more, I will have more accomplishments, perhaps a few more spectacular failures, but at least I will gain experience and have a few neat stories to tell.

I have put a few proverbial irons in the fire, and many plans are in the works, a few of which stretch my boundaries and explore new territory.  As I take on these projects, travel to new places, and expand my horizon, I plan to share my experiences with you in the coming days, weeks, and months.

Lastly, I would like to ask you a favor.  I am open to and actively taking your suggestions for things I should do, see, eat, hear, etc.  If you're doing fun, exciting, strange, nifty (heck, or even downright naughty) things, invite me.  My plan is to say, "Yes," unless I honestly have prior plans, my academic pursuits would suffer, or the logistics/finances are not where they need to be.

Challenge accepted?  Great.  Here I go!