YOLO, a phrase commonly used before doing something adrenaline-filled, to push yourself outside your comfort zone. You might be fulfilling your lifelong dream of skydiving, doing a backflip into a pool or, in my case, going headfirst down an inflatable slide.
Today, I’m going to share insight on an important lesson I learned recently: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Show-Off Shelly
I’m what some people would call extroverted. I’m not afraid to “do something for the plot” or shy away from something that could be laughed at later on.
As I’ve discovered, this is a dangerous personality to have.
If you’re wondering how I ended up in that sling, let’s just say I thought it would be “edgy” or “cool,” on State Paddy’s weekend, to go down one of our beloved fraternity’s inflatable slides headfirst. An unstuck landing, a night of pain, a trip to urgent care and a sprained shoulder later, I realized it was not.
This incident is what gave me the spark for this article. I want to save other “show-off shellys,” like myself, from harm. YOLO doesn’t equal FAFO. We must tread carefully, protect ourselves and our bodies, or as I like to say, party like you have an 8 a.m.
Which in simple terms means, don’t act like you’re indestructible, because you’re not and there is a whole day waiting to be lived tomorrow and the day after and the day after that.
Having Fun, Being Safe
Believe it or not, you don’t need to be on one hundred percent all the time. As a resident people pleaser, I find it difficult to put myself first, especially in situations where I can be the friend group’s “class clown,” but valuing safety should always be your number one priority.
As silly as it might sound, here’s a tip: THINK before doing something. Could this possibly result in a bad outcome? If the answer is even “maybe,” I suggest holding off on it. I wish I had this article a few weeks ago as it would have saved me from spring break in a sling.
If you take away anything from this article, please let it be this: ALWAYS have fun and party like you have an 8 a.m. in the morning.
What’s a time when you did not abide by the “party like you have an 8 a.m.” mindset? Let us know @VALLEYmag on Instagram!
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