YOLO: You Only Live Once
YOLO is such an interesting acronym because at the same time as acknowledging that we only live once, I have seen how it can be used to excuse actions which do not actually show a value for life.
The fact that we can only do this life once is exactly the reason we should use it well. Life is serious stuff.
Life is serious stuff
I remember coming across a video of Michelle Obama playfully yet seriously encouraging girls to focus on their studies instead of which boys find them cute. That short clip really stuck with me and reminded me of why I was at school and why I was not at school. Yes, who likes who was part of being at school but I was certainly not going to let it be the focus – cos YOLO.
We all get to choose how we respond to YOLO. The thing is we all know of people who chose to make the “who likes who” the focus of school, and when school is over and we all go our separate ways – was it worth it? I doubt anyone (maybe even you) would say that it was.
I say this knowing I haven’t always responded appropriately to YOLO but now that I know better, I am choosing to do better.
Cos YOLO
cos YOLO: I will no longer entertain pointless conversations
cos YOLO: I will no longer accept every invitation to hang out
cos YOLO: I will no longer define myself by the trends
cos YOLO: I will no longer squander time on cheap entertainment
cos YOLO: I will start taking better care of my spiritual wellbeing
cos YOLO: I will start exercising and eating healthier
cos YOLO: I will start guarding my heart from harmful relationships
cos YOLO: I will start finding opportunities to develop my gifts & talents
I’ve said this in previous posts but we really do have creative control over how our story goes. And as we get closer to the new year, it seems most appropriate to consider your life and whether it reflects that YOLO. What will you no longer do? What will you start doing?
The realisation that you only live once can either spur your life forward or hold you back. The choice is yours.
Further reading
- Redefining Success, ‘Time is of the essence’
- Redefining Success, ‘No time for trash talk: level up your conversations‘
- Redefining Success, ‘Friends can build or break you…choose well’
- Redefining Success, ‘High maintenance: soul edition’
- ‘The Urgent Life By Bozoma Saint John with Stephanie Ike and Ashlee Eason
Redefining Success 
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