"Fearless before danger." The dictionary definition of bold.
I've been lucky enough to dodge anything truly dangerous. I've had the occasional drunken stranger get in my car in the McDonald's drive-thru line (he made it home safely — I made sure of it), I've witnessed the Oak Trees at Toomer's Corner set ablaze after an Auburn football game, but when it comes to something truly dangerous — I've been lucky enough to avoid anything that could potentially harm me.
But while my dangers are few, the fears are many.
The fears can be disguised as anxiety, depression, stress and any other mental state that can cause your heart rate to rise. It can be the pressures of social engagements, the stress of classes, the impact of student involvement all tied together with the terrifying concept of my future that make college such a terrifying place.
My best friend and I have taken it as a goal to tackle this year with a different approach: the bold approach. This definition of bold revolves around positivity, never leaving a situation thinking "what if" and just trying to make the present day better than yesterday.
I'm not saying that being bold by my definition will heal any fears you have — but it makes living so much more fun.
Fortune Favors the Bold
In the preview for "Bohemian Rhapsody," there's a quote that says "fortune favor the bold." This particularly stuck with me — we can create our own fortune. When I see the love of my life walk into a room– what's the problem of going up and starting conversation? When I see a network opportunity — what's wrong with taking that chance? Nothing! You never know the connections you can create by putting yourself out there, because you have the power of creating good fortune.
The Beyonce Halftime Show
This one may be a little personal to me — but watch, listen or read something that hypes you up. Be excited about life — it's beautiful, there's so much to be thankful for. Show gratitude for all the areas of your life that bring you joy; whether it be your friendships, your coffee shop or even the fact that your car started this morning. Life is beautiful — live like it.
Ride the Wave
I've started asking my friends: "How are we going to make today better than yesterday?" We all create scenarios that could make that particular day the best day of our life. Most of those scenarios, while seeming unlikely, make us all tackle the day with a positive mentality. Positivity is contagious, and while that sounds like a cliche, it creates a momentum to ride on: the wave. Ride that positivity, create friendships, create moments.
I've built my personal definition of bold, catering to my personal lifestyle, to make my senior year as memorable as I can. When college is over, I'm not going to remember all of the negatives (well... maybe), but I'll be more inclined to remember the times that my friends and I get out of our comfort zones, created our own fortunes and belly-laughed all night long.
Life is short, life is beautiful, create your own fortune.
