Made famous by Drake in his track “The Motto,” YOLO, the pop culture abbreviation for “You Only Live Once” is, at the surface, seen by some as merely an excuse for young adults (aka “millennials”) to make stupid decisions. Because why not? You only live once, so we may as well live recklessly, right?
Sure, many people in our generation do indeed use YOLO, or more accurately, #yolo, as just an excuse for their crazy decisions, but at least to me, the motto goes much deeper than just that. Your late teens and your twenties are a time of self-discovery and becoming comfortable in your own skin, and what better way to do that then get out of your comfort zone? This doesn’t just mean going to that party instead of studying or even necessarily anything irresponsible – it could mean taking the opportunity to go abroad, taking a chance by applying to that internship even if you think you may not get it, taking up your friend’s offer to join them on a random weekend trip because hey, it’s true, we only live once. We shouldn’t let once-in-a-lifetime opportunities pass us up.
Beyoncé is spot on in her "Yours and Mine" documentary from 2014:
“I know that when you grow up, when you learn a few things, you're no longer afraid of letting go. You're no longer afraid of the unknown. You're no longer afraid of going to certain places in your body, mind, and soul that might make you feel uncomfortable, and it all starts with if you can look at yourself in the mirror and say 'I like that person.'"
So as we enter into 2016, take a look in the mirror. Do you like what you see?
