YOLO: A Reworking

YOLO or You Only Live Once has most commonly referred to occasions of binge drinking, banging a certain number of persons, or engaging in the dangerous. These actions would be better categorized under UDOLO (You Only Die Once) or TTBADA (Time To Be A DumbAss). The former appeals to the selfish caring only for how they “go out” and so thrill themselves for the hell of it while the latter just does not think about the consequences. 

 Let us consider YOLO as a saying with deeper value instead. We only live once, so let us make the best of it by being the best we can be. Find something you love and do it because you love it, not because you may receive recompense. Have people in your life to dedicate your actions to; for every action there is a consequence, but think of how we might act if we considered first that we are doing it, not for, but in thought of a loved one – we do not live in the past but we act accordingly for these people so that we may continually strive to become better people and make our loved ones proud and smile upon us. 

Think of YOLO as an opportunity to do as much good in the world as you can. Think of it as your ability to give back to the world – and the people too – what has been bestowed upon you. 

For myself, I am tired of thinking I could do more; tired of thinking that I could have studied more or done some kind of work around the house or built something pragmatic; instead I sleep in or watch hour after hour of TV. I should be fat and dumb and ostracized by society; yet, I have retained most of my fitness from being a decathlete and football player, comprise of great intellect, and oddly enough am greatly accepted by most. A change is needed to justify what I possess. 

Our bodies, for the most part, have been designed to work, to move, to think. The hard working brilliant ones utilize these abilities while many are content with the technologies at hand. If we are to continue forward and progress then let us use these technologies, not for their apps, but for their practicality; let us use our bodies effectively to better work in and with our surroundings; and let us apply our brains to solving the problems of our world. 

YOLO, applied properly, is not an easy life… it’s actually the hardest thing you could possibly do for yourself as it is a daily effort to push yourself to live up to its real meaning:

Make life worth the daily fight. It’s time to live up to your greatest dreams.

Live To Love; Love To Live

A Worthy Investment

There is one person in this world who has been with you through all things: seen your downfalls, your achievements, gave you the courage to ask that guy/girl out, struck fear in your heart when you knew you shouldn't have been doing something, motivated you, stopped you in your tracks, loved you, hated you (more like frustrated though), but ultimately wished the best for you in all conditions and circumstances. That person is you.

While it may seem selfish it's quite wise to invest your time and money in that person; it's tough living with them at times but you can never leave yourself; don't even try to escape - it's cowardly and impossible. Make that person happy and do your best with what comes your way - always with a smile on your face and determination in your heart.

Here's how you invest: if you want to learn another language then take classes, read books, travel to the native country, actually use what you learn; if you wish to be more social then go to a club or coffeehouse or library, join a group, create a group, spark conversations with strangers; if you want to design and build something then draw it, research similar projects, get the materials, play with trial and error, build it and learn from it then tweak it. There is a difference, though, between being picky and doing your research - pickiness stalls progress in vain while research shows caution in the midst of a storm (life isn't a peach).

Now there are good and bad investments, but I cannot possibly say what they may be; vague and biased opinions are the best I can give. The difference between the two, however, are nothing like blurred lines; you'll know.

In the end, however, share this person with the rest of the world. Neither hold this person exclusively to yourself nor purely give them to others; the former allows for no growth while the latter gives no time for one to find themselves. I guarantee that if you make good investments, this person needs to be shared with the world. Not only do they thrive in the world but so do they inspire others to make the same investments.

Spark change. Fuel drives. Live to love. And love to live.

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." - Steve Jobs