How do you view your life? I used to think that in order to have a successful life, I had to have everything figured out. I knew what college I wanted to go to, what I wanted my career to be, who I wanted to be with, how many kids I wanted to have, where I wanted to live, everything was perfectly planned out. As we all know, life rarely turns out as we plan it.

When everything I had planned backfired on me, I felt like I had nowhere to turn. I barely knew who I was, let alone what I wanted to do. You suddenly start to question everything that makes you who you are. Did I start playing the piano because I really liked it, or because I thought it was cool? Did I start playing all of the sports that I did because I loved to play sports, or because I wanted to be perceived as athletic? Have I always liked my hair long, or did I just keep it long because everyone else said they loved it? Why am I in school for a law degree when I’m so passionate about art? What is it that I really want out of life, and everything that I have chosen to involve myself in up to this point?

This is when you realize that if you can only see your life going in one direction, you’re going to miss out on a lot of really cool things. Nothing is ever black and white, as much as it seems like it is. Sometimes seeing life in color is the hardest thing you can possibly ask yourself to do. We all have dreams and aspirations, or at least an idea of the way we want things to go. Sometimes we wonder why we should try something new when what is familiar to us is good enough. Why wouldn’t you consider trying something new, knowing that it may be the best thing you have ever done? You absolutely won’t love everything you try, but what if you try something and turn out loving it more than you ever thought you could?

So this is my New Year’s dare for you. Look at life and seek every possible opportunity offered to you. For me, that might be going to art school, or at least taking an art class. Some things are scary, some decisions are even scarier, but in the end, there are so many aspects of this world just waiting to be seen, admired, and cherished.

Find something new. Find something to love that you never even knew existed. Find something to love that you never thought possible. See the world from as many perspectives as you possibly can. We only have this one life, and as cliché as it may seem, the world becomes a whole lot brighter with every experience.