What I Learnt from a Year of Saying Yes

Lessons from a year of saying yes

Hey Owlets,

After last week's post about what happened when I said yes for a year, this time I wanted to talk to you about what I've learnt and weirdly it's a lot. I'm genuinely shocked how much one word can change things, but it really has. So, as we have a lot to get to I'll stop rambling and get to the point for once.

Attack every opportunity

I feel like that sounds really aggressive when I don't mean it to be. Before this year I would think long and hard about something before making a decision, and I'd usually end up talking myself out of it. One thing I've learnt is that saying yes, even to the smallest opportunity can change things for you. Approach everything you do as if it's going to be really important, put your all into it because you never know where it could take you.

If you want to say no, say yes

This is probably the biggest lesson I've learnt this year. There's so many things that I would've said no to before and by saying yes I've ended up meeting new people and getting to do things that I never would've seen coming. In my last post I talked about how if something was too vague I'd instantly turn it down, but by saying yes instead I ended up going to dinner at the Italian Embassy by accident.

Lessons from a year of saying yes

Never waste a day

This one is massive for me - I've always been the kind of person that thinks "when I have more money I'll do this" or "when I'm thinner I'll do that". I was recently looking back at some photos from when I was 15 and much thinner, yet spent the entire time believing I was fat. You're never going to get that day back again, when it's gone it's gone forever. If you need to have a duvet day then relax, but make it purposeful, not just wasting an entire day scrolling through Instagram because you can't be bothered to go out. 

Change your attitude

Last year things upset me a lot more - if someone said something horrible or attacked me on my blog or Twitter it would really get to me and I'd waste days being upset about it but that doesn't change anything. People are always going to be small minded but by choosing to pick out the little things that make you happy, you win. Rather than thinking "I have to go here for an event that's only two hours long", I think "I'm going here for the day, what else can I do?". If I'm going to Birmingham for the day for a two hour event I'll meet up with friends, go to the library, take a walk along the canals. I always want to make the most of my time and that's made me a lot happier.

Lessons from a year of saying yes

Nothing is as important as you

One reason for being miserable when I went away last year was because I was spending all of my time and energy worrying about and trying to fix other peoples' problems when I had my own to deal with. You should always care and be considerate about other people but you can't keep giving if the pot is empty, and that pot is your mental health. If you've run yourself into the ground you can't keep helping other people until you feel better yourself. Last year I realised that a lot of my "friends" only spoke to me if they wanted something, and by cutting those people out I was able to focus on those that I really cared about, and it made me happier.

My year of saying yes has made me happier and more passionate about the things I do. I could honestly talk to you about this all week but as the last post was a bit of an essay I've tried to keep this one shorter. If there's anything you want to know then feel free to ask because I'm considering a part three, but on my YouTube channel.

Love and Feathers, 
 The Owlet 💜 
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