YOLO is a lie.

The whole YOLO thing has always bothered me. For those of you who don't know, YOLO stands for You Only Live Once. For many people I knew, this was the term they used for the reason they did all kinds of ridiculous things. Every time they did something messed up they'd say, "Oh well, YOLO." I thought it would pass over time, but I still hear young people say this all the time.

YOLO is a lie. Let me say that again to be clear: YOLO is a lie. You only die once; you live every day. Every day you wake up, take another breath, and know you are alive is another chance to live the best life possible. Strive to live the best life you can. Some days you will fail; we all fail sometimes, but don't let that hold you back. New days bring new opportunities and another chance to live the life you have always wanted.

Keep moving forward

Recently, I've been talking to a lot of folks that have me thinking about something. A lot of people I meet are interested in the way I live my life. I try to live life as best I can. I try to learn from everyone and every situation that comes my way. One of the most important things I do is I keep trying.

Sounds simple, right?

I think so, but for some reason, this concept sounds completely foreign to a lot of people. Let me tell you what I mean. More often than not, when people find out I am a writer, they will often tell me about an idea that they have for a story. They also tell me how they are impressed that I have two books out because they aren't sure they could write a book. I try to encourage everyone I meet, so I will usually ask, "Did you ever try?" You know what the most common response is: "No."

If you never try something, how will you ever know if you can do it or not? How about another example? A few weeks ago I decided to try my hand at skimboarding again, a water activity I have not done for over 20 years! Many people I meet on the beach, especially older guys, tell me how much they used to love skimboarding, but they just don't feel like they could do it again. My question for them is the same: How do you know, if you never tried?"

I worry that too many of us give up because we never try. I truly believe in living life to the fullest. We can't do that if we are too afraid to try. Maybe skydiving and extreme sports is too much for most people, but what about the simple things? If you have an idea for a book, you should try writing. I never thought I could write a book. That is the whole reason I did, and now I am about to finish my third book. I wasn't sure if I could skimboard again without seriously hurting myself, but I tried, and now I go all the time. I'm not sure why I ever stopped.

What is something in your life that you could do to make your life fuller, but you are too afraid to try? This week, at least give it another look. Maybe you want to travel, become a chef, write a book, or learn to swim. The possibilities are endless. Whatever you do, keep moving forward, keep trying. It's the advice we give children who are learning something new. I think it is still sound advice for many of us who are adults that are afraid to try.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!