It started during my senior year in high school. I was trying to think back to all the best times of my life and was coming up short because I had always been afraid to venture outside of my comfort zone. That's when I decided it was time to start living and make some god damn memories. The first memory I made living off that motto was touching a human placenta in health class. It was gross, but I remember it — four years later. I have used this method and made many memories along the way.
Whenever I am faced with a new or interesting situation, I say to myself, "Why not? Make a memory!" because you will never, ever look back on your life and wish you had done less.
Each memory I make is an experience. Each time I venture outside of my comfort zone and do something bold, even if it leads to a slightly less desirable consequence, it gives me a lesson. It gives me something to use in the future. If I never did all the weird stuff I do or took the risks that I take, how would I ever build a filing cabinet of life experiences to one day share with my grandchildren?
Sometimes, it is still hard to convince myself that I need to take a chance because all I can think about is the immediate pain, fear or sadness that may arise from the situation. But once I convince myself that those emotions only help me grow, I usually find myself facing the situation head on.
I do not want to look back on my life and realize that I spent too much time in the safe zone — too afraid to run a little faster, climb a little higher or achieve a little more. I use this motto to spend time with my friends, I use this motto to evaluate what is important and what I will look back upon with greater fondness. Sure, my homework is important and school is a priority in my life right now. But I should go out with my friends a few times a semester, not only to keep that connection with them, or to give myself a moment of relief from the stress that is school, but also so that I can remember more about my time in college than 2 a.m. essays and all-nighters for exams.
Sometimes making a strong memory can come at an expense, literally. But money is something that should liberate you, not tie you down. I save a lot, but I try to feel less guilty about spending $30 on a night out with friends because 10 years from now I won't remember how much the bill was or what I tipped the waitress. I will remember spending time with my friends.
The memory you create doesn't have to be something big. It can be as small as lying down in a meadow, jumping in a creek or walking through the quiet parts of campus when no one is around. It doesn't have to be something new each time, and it doesn't have to conform to anyone's standards of "fun" other than your own.
Homework, work, finances and adult responsibilities, in general, tend to impede our chances to live life to the fullest and make the most of our time while we are young. Especially now, when most people in college are trying to be grown ups, live independently and start their lives on the right foot. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but we need to learn to slow down, take a break and invest in some memories too. It's what I make myself do, at least once a week.
And you know what? Ten times out of 10 I am satisfied with how things turned out. Even if in the moment it didn't feel like I would ever appreciate it. Making a memory is worth so much more in the long run than the small trivial things you use as an excuse to avoid living.
