Lifestyle | The 'YES' project

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Since I've been here in Barcelona, I've set myself a little challenge, as a kind of extension of something I've been trying to do more of in general. The word 'yes' is my new best friend: I'm not allowed to say no to invitations or opportunities (within reason!). Moving to a new city, where I know nobody, has been pretty daunting to say the least. It's not the first time I've done it, but for some reason it seems like the first time I've done it without knowing anyone at all. I am definitely more of an introvert, and it's sometimes so tempting to take the easier option when faced with situations which are slightly out of my comfort zone, such as going to a language meetup alone (still building up the courage), or leaving the house on a bad day when all you want to do is hibernate. As tempting as it is to take the no risk, easy route sometimes - especially when you suffer from anxiety - it's rarely the best option.

Saying yes to things which I've been scared of, or intimidated by, has led me to some amazing experiences in the past: being a pilates teacher in Brussels, going to work in Budapest on less than a week's notice, meeting some great people along the way. Experience tells me that saying yes to opportunities is the right way to go, so I'm really trying to put that into practice here. I'm not advocating saying yes to absolutely everything - there are some things which are a definite no, and sometimes you really do need that chilled out day to recharge your batteries - but taking people up on offers which you might be nervous about can lead to some great things. So my personal little project is to say 'yes' more, and see what happens. It might lead to nothing, but nothing ventured nothing gained! It might turn into an amazing memory, or a new friend, or even just an interesting story. I do get nervous about very small things - we all have our different comfort zones - but I'm trying to live by the idea of feeling the fear, and doing it anyway, because as hard as it is, I don't want personal issues to stop me from having amazing experiences.

I love this quote, and I think it sums this post up perfectly. Push your boundaries, get out of your comfort zone, and do something you're afraid of doing because the feeling when you have is amazing and you feel so accomplished! Without getting too cheesy, it really is a great feeling when you challenge yourself and it's a feeling I know that I need to remember when faced with things which scare me, but which I know would be brilliant to do. Along the lines of 'do something every day which scares you' - because the results will be so so worth it.

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