I have been told many times to do one thing a day that scares me. Supposedly this would improve one's quality of life by broadening her horizons through taking risks and what not... blah blah blah; a cliche statement that I had heard numerous times before. One day, though (and not too long ago), I actually agreed to follow the statement's advice: I told myself that every time an opportunity presented itself and my initial reaction was to turn it down, I should then immediately agree to embark upon said opportunity. Well, guess what. I have been happier ever since. I have taken risks I would not normally have taken; I have seen and done things I would have normally missed out on. The word 'yes' is such a simple word, yet it holds so much power, and I dove further into the depths of its power every day.

I consider myself a person with mild social anxiety. I was a relatively shy child growing up. I was comfortable around my friends and family, but it was strenuous and nerve-racking for me to make new acquaintances. I have a younger sister, and we were, and still are, always hanging out together. Why make new friends when you have one who shares the confines of a living space with you? She was my security blanket.

As I looked back on my childhood, I realized how much I missed out on, and how much I could potentially miss out on in the future. I wanted to become more independent and confident, so I adopted the 'yes' mindset. I first got the idea from my sister. One day we were in the car and she told me about saying yes to things she did not want to do. I thought it was an interesting concept and a simple way to begin conquering my fears of society.

I started small, saying yes to social outings when I was feeling lazy, saying yes to going to the grocery store by myself. After accomplishing these simple tasks and not spontaneously combusting due to irrational fears of public humiliation, I began saying yes to scarier things. I started saying yes to meeting friends of friends, saying yes to going to new and unfamiliar places. Once again, I survived these experiences, and I actually enjoyed myself while experiencing them!

The most recent opportunity I said yes to was writing for Odyssey. I was scared it would be too time-consuming, or I would not be as good of a writer as others, or I would not be creative enough to write an article every week. When I considered how nervous this task made me feel, I knew I should agree to do it. I am still in the midst of this opportunity, as this is my first Odyssey article. But I am glad I said yes and I am excited to see where this opportunity will take me.

Today, I am much better at meeting new people, making new friends, and acting independently. It has been an interesting journey watching my attitude about life evolve. My sister's attitude inspired mine, and although I don't need my sister's presence anymore to function in a community outside of my living room, I still feel more comfortable when we are together, which is okay. I have learned how to balance comfort and risk, and I am continuously honing that skill every day just by saying yes.