Just Say Yes and Just Say No
You know what's my favorite way to start off the year? Sleeping in and having a totally lazy day. But alas, someone invited Spencer and me to go ice fishing on the 1st of the year and we decided to go.
At 6:30 am. In the FREEZING COLD.
When Spencer mentioned the invitation to go ice fishing on the 1st, I immediately protested. First of all, I don't find fishing fascinating at all. Second, I had to wake up...how early on January 1, 2018? Third, IT'S FREAKIN' WINTER. I was not shy in vocalizing that it was such a lame way to start off the new year. But then we realized that perhaps it wasn't a lame way to start off the year. Starting off the year by trying something totally new and out of our comfort zones would set the tone for 2018.
On our way to the ice fishing location, I told myself over and over again to have a good attitude. And surprisingly, I did! We got out of the car and I was ready to get me some fish. Spencer and I were excited to try out ice fishing for the first time.
It was so cold. We literally had to drill holes in the frozen lake to stick our fishing poles in (duh, it's ice fishing). The fact that I was actually doing it, that I was actually standing on a frozen lake, holding a fishing pole that was going into a drilled hole that accessed the water of the lake was exciting to me. For two hours I stood around my holes, in the freezing cold, waiting for fish to bite unto whatever was attached to the end of the line.
I only lasted those two hours. After two hours, ice fishing seemed like torture to me. I repeat, first of all, I don't think fishing is that fun (I don't care at all if I catch a fish or not). Second, I had woken up super early and I could no longer stand patiently waiting for fish to bite into a hook. I needed to lay down and NAP. Third, IT WAS FREAKIN' COLD. I was too uninterested and too tired to continue to stand in the freezing cold "for fun". I was super grateful for the experience, but I was done. The person who had invited us to go with them gave me the key to his car so that I could shelter myself from the outside cold. No matter how much Spencer tried to convince me to keep going, I stayed in the car for the rest of the experience, which went on for 3 more hours. I purely enjoyed those three hours in the car with no regrets.
I learned two things from this experience. First, be open minded and try new things with a good attitude! Just say yes. Why close yourself off from potential adventures? Second it's okay to say no. I know that is literally the opposite of what I just said, but let me explain. Do things that will be good for you and make you happy. You don't need to do things out of obligation. When Spencer and I got invited to go ice fishing, it first felt like an obligation. But then we were the ones that decided to go, we were the ones that decided to challenge ourselves by trying something new and we did have fun. Once I felt like like my body couldn't take standing in the freezing cold and that I would just be staying on the frozen lake out of obligation, I decided to say no. I had challenged myself and had enjoyed the challenge. Could I take 5 total hours of the challenge on my first try? Absolutely not. I knew that if I would have stayed outside 3 more hours from the 2 I had already spent, the experience would have been ruined for me and I would have been bitter about the whole day. Instead, because I had said no and decided it was time for me to go back in the car, I now have awesome memories of the challenge that it was for me to go ice fishing. I absolutely love that Spencer and I went ice fishing for our first activity of the year, and I have no regrets (except that I should have dressed warmer!). So for the rest of 2018, I will strive to just say yes and to just say no.
At 6:30 am. In the FREEZING COLD.
When Spencer mentioned the invitation to go ice fishing on the 1st, I immediately protested. First of all, I don't find fishing fascinating at all. Second, I had to wake up...how early on January 1, 2018? Third, IT'S FREAKIN' WINTER. I was not shy in vocalizing that it was such a lame way to start off the new year. But then we realized that perhaps it wasn't a lame way to start off the year. Starting off the year by trying something totally new and out of our comfort zones would set the tone for 2018.
On our way to the ice fishing location, I told myself over and over again to have a good attitude. And surprisingly, I did! We got out of the car and I was ready to get me some fish. Spencer and I were excited to try out ice fishing for the first time.
It was so cold. We literally had to drill holes in the frozen lake to stick our fishing poles in (duh, it's ice fishing). The fact that I was actually doing it, that I was actually standing on a frozen lake, holding a fishing pole that was going into a drilled hole that accessed the water of the lake was exciting to me. For two hours I stood around my holes, in the freezing cold, waiting for fish to bite unto whatever was attached to the end of the line.
I only lasted those two hours. After two hours, ice fishing seemed like torture to me. I repeat, first of all, I don't think fishing is that fun (I don't care at all if I catch a fish or not). Second, I had woken up super early and I could no longer stand patiently waiting for fish to bite into a hook. I needed to lay down and NAP. Third, IT WAS FREAKIN' COLD. I was too uninterested and too tired to continue to stand in the freezing cold "for fun". I was super grateful for the experience, but I was done. The person who had invited us to go with them gave me the key to his car so that I could shelter myself from the outside cold. No matter how much Spencer tried to convince me to keep going, I stayed in the car for the rest of the experience, which went on for 3 more hours. I purely enjoyed those three hours in the car with no regrets.
I learned two things from this experience. First, be open minded and try new things with a good attitude! Just say yes. Why close yourself off from potential adventures? Second it's okay to say no. I know that is literally the opposite of what I just said, but let me explain. Do things that will be good for you and make you happy. You don't need to do things out of obligation. When Spencer and I got invited to go ice fishing, it first felt like an obligation. But then we were the ones that decided to go, we were the ones that decided to challenge ourselves by trying something new and we did have fun. Once I felt like like my body couldn't take standing in the freezing cold and that I would just be staying on the frozen lake out of obligation, I decided to say no. I had challenged myself and had enjoyed the challenge. Could I take 5 total hours of the challenge on my first try? Absolutely not. I knew that if I would have stayed outside 3 more hours from the 2 I had already spent, the experience would have been ruined for me and I would have been bitter about the whole day. Instead, because I had said no and decided it was time for me to go back in the car, I now have awesome memories of the challenge that it was for me to go ice fishing. I absolutely love that Spencer and I went ice fishing for our first activity of the year, and I have no regrets (except that I should have dressed warmer!). So for the rest of 2018, I will strive to just say yes and to just say no.
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