At the beginning of this year, I decided I wanted to improve my life. I wanted to feel great about my health, fitness, heart, and mind. So I embarked on a fitness and weight loss journey.
Over the last few months, I also decided that I was going to say “yes” more, and “no” less. Like many of us, I enjoy the sweet comfort of, well, my comfort zone. Change scares me because I’m happy and I’m protective of that happiness, anything that could change or hinder it, I automatically reject.
I’m not what you call a “risk taker.” I could happily live in the bubble of my comfort zone until the day I die. But I won’t know what else is out there in the world unless I step out of the bubble. I won’t know what’s like to run a 5K, unless I train. I won’t know what’s like to eat and enjoy veggies, unless I try to. I won’t know what’s like to cook meals I enjoy, unless I teach myself how to cook. I won’t know what’s like not being obese, unless I change my habits. Does that make sense?
Saying yes more has allowed me to try new things that are improving my life. For example: eating vegetables. I hated veggies. But I've now found creative ways of cooking veggies to enjoy eating them. See, I’m not talking about doing big things here. I’m talking about attainable yeses. About saying yes to switching from white rice to brown rice, or saying yes to wearing that sleeveless shirt you’ve always wanted to but were too self conscious about wearing because you felt that your arms were too big.
Saying yes comes in all shapes and forms.
These are 10 things I’ve said yes to this year that I wouldn’t have said yes to before:
1. Signing up to do a bubble run
2. Camping in Tennessee
3. Ziplining (Indoors and small but it counts!)
4. Accepting going on a Latin dance cruise
5. Buying and wearing shorts and bikinis
6. Going into H&M to shop after years of not doing so
7. Trying Snapper (fish)
8. Buying a pair of jeans size 8
9. Sharing my life on IG, a blog & YouTube.
And last but not least, #10 is saying yes to getting healthy. Which has worked out fairly well because I’ve lost almost 70 pounds in 9 months and last night I was able to run for a whole mile without stopping!!!! :)
Saying yes to more things has changed my life. Instagram has also opened up a lot of these opportunities that I wouldn’t have thought about doing before, like zip-lining and accepting an invitation to a Latin dance cruise. It's not always easy to say yes. Sometimes, these yeses come with anxiety. Anxiety of the unknown, and anxiety of being out of your comfort zone. But the only way to fight anxiety is by facing it head-on. Find what gives you anxiety, and do it. Don't run away from it. Rip it off like a bandaid.
Just say yes.
Do better, do more, enjoy life more. Don’t get stuck on a routine.
I want to live, and I want to live well.
I chose 2019 to be the year for me. This is the yes year.
Try something new and watch what happens.
And be kind to people.
-Cabi
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