Hope for the Best, Expect the Worst

Looking back at my article from February, it feels like it was someone else writing. It's insane how so many things can change in a few months, or even a few days for that matter. However, staying in line with the theme of my last article, I am able to announce that the biggest Yes I've said this year was to moving to Madrid.
I can say confidently that this "yes" has been the most extraordinary and exciting one I've had to pleasure to say thus far. Moving is always special, which meant that even after having grown up in different countries, it was a daunting process. I had no idea how any aspect of my life would unfold abroad, far from family and friends, in a foreign environment and with limited language abilities.
Little did I know I would find myself the happiest I've been in a long while. It is still unknown to me how it took experiencing life in a different city and meeting new people for me to increasingly grow confident in who I am. Every day I get closer to not caring about what "others" think of me, and every day I reach a new level of fulfilment. Oh boy, did it take a lot for me to write those words down, knowing both how tacky and how stupid it was for me to ever care in the first place. Spoiler alert though, I definitely am not claiming I'm tooootally over the whole "how do I come across" fear, but I am headed in the right direction.The words I am typing feel like they could come out of a twelve year old's diary but somehow, they feel right.
It's also been a tad strange for me to figure out how I have been feeling so festive whilst being the furthest away from home I've ever been. I believe that people who say we can just "choose" to be happy are bypassing a range of outside influences which challenge this statement. I also believe that it's possible, no matter what situation you find yourself in to smile at the Christmas lights, to be kind to strangers and to be grateful for the people that do happen to be in your life. Those are not hard rules to live by, but it is unfortunately so easy to forget them every so often. I just happen to find myself in a situation where I am prone to remembering those little things and therefore feel it is the correct time to lay it on my screen. I can appreciate my family more being far away from them just as I can care for my friends more by skyping with them whilst internally longing to hug them, after all, it's not because people move that our memories and relationships have to move away with them.
I think these are the jolly-est holidays I will spend yet, and I sure do hope not to lose that spark I feel is igniting me right now. And if, or when, I do find myself in a dull moment, I sure hope I have my own positive words to go back to -a wish of mine which happens to be a recurring theme in most of what I write.
I was not hoping for anything by moving here, except maybe for some kind of personal development. What I got was way more than I bargained for in the best way possible. I have met wonderful and terribly interesting new people which have made my life that much richer for it. I am learning from every person I hang out with, and they are helping me grow in more ways than they can ever imagine. I may not have been expecting anything at all, not even the worst, but I sure hoped for the best.

This was my ode to Mel Brooks' Hope for the Best, Expect the Worst

The benefits of saying Yes !

In 2008, a movie called Yes Man came out. The whole plot centred around a man who decides to say yes to everything. Nine years later, the reason why I remember it is because as crazy as the concept seemed, it was also striking for me, a person so attached to the power of the "no". So when more recently I came across a video of a youtuber called autodisciple who decided to say "yes" to everything for 30 days it brought me back to my initial fascination. I was ridiculously inclined to saying no as soon as something may require too much effort or may appear scary and intimidating.

Firstly, it struck me as being remarkably brave because saying yes often entails leaving your comfort zone. On the one hand, the good side of this whole philosophy of life appeared to be the positive discoveries that came with saying yes to going places and meeting people he was initially reluctant to. On the other hand, the less attractive side was the possibility of anyone to abuse of their power and the management of time which became stressful because of added commitment.

Then, I understood how such a small word could change someone's life. The word "yes" is the enemy of excuses, laziness and fear, it pushes you to do more and to live life the way you always wanted to rather than allowing you to find ways of justifying why you're not living that life.

At the end of the 30 days, the youtuber concluded that he had had a busy month full of adventures, that he didn't regret anything but that he also appreciated the power of saying no. He therefore planned on going back to his old ways whilst keeping in mind that if possible, he should say yes.

His video was so well executed that I understood his message, that saying "yes" should be the norm. From then on, whenever my flatmates or my friends suggested we do something or go somewhere, instead of hesitating or saying no I chose to react positively. I looked for ways to make it work with my busy schedule and even if I was not convinced, I still pushed myself to get involved. The difference between this month and last month is already considerable. My schedule is the busiest it's ever been, I have plans for every day of the week, the same amount of work if not more and I love it. 

The one thing to keep in mind however, is that whenever I felt like it was all getting too much I did not feel bad about saying no. I understood that sometimes saying no to others meant saying yes to myself. It was not about letting others down but about being my own supporter. If anyone understands your needs it's you and ignoring this inner voice just to say yes is never a good idea. 

So what now? Well, the benefits of saying yes are countless. It does the one cliché thing in life we always hear about: it opens your horizons. By meeting new people, going to new places, discovering your environment, accepting that greatness does not often lie in your comfort zone you end up with more opportunities, more chances to do good and more reasons to smile.