du @thedulab You invested into a business. Pursued a relationship. Took a shot. It didn’t work out. It messed you up, but you tell yourself you’re thankful that it taught you a lesson. You promise yourself it won’t happen again.
Today, you’re more guarded. Analytical. In your own head. You still feel excitement, but you suppress it now. Instead of launching your product, you spend hours researching the failure rate. Instead being intoxicatingly present with your date, you’re looking for signs they’ll leave. Instead of allowing yourself to flow, you’re extremely neurotic about how you’ll come off. Remember what happened last time?
You may have gained wisdom, but you lost your glimmer. Your optimism. Your curiosity. You killed the kid in you. But for what? To be “smarter?” To live the rest of your life having defined your purpose by how unscathed you are or how many mistakes you didn’t make by the time you’re six feet under? By how much joy you missed out on by trying to protect your emotions or avoid the possibility of pain?
Be bold. Be obsessed. Be passionate. So much beauty to be absorbed. Experiences to be embraced. Soul to be expressed. Show up in the world, and keep showing up. Let yourself get high off of life. Surrender to your senses. There’s nothing to worry about. You’ll be more than fine. Just choose to actually live.