Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this “nobody wants to die” idea, and I wanted to try and put it into, like, a real thing. You know, see if I could make some choices that really felt like life or death, even if it was just in a small way.
Getting Started
First, I brainstormed a bunch of scenarios. Nothing crazy, just everyday stuff where the stakes could feel high. I thought about:
- Asking someone out. Total classic, right?
- Speaking up in a meeting at work. What if I say something dumb?
- Trying a new, scary food. Okay, maybe not life or death, but you get it.
- Finally starting to learn a musical instrument.
The Experiment Begins
I picked the work meeting one. I have these weekly meetings where I usually just sit there and nod. This time, I decided I was going to say something, anything, even if it was just a question. I figured, the worst that could happen is I sound stupid, and nobody actually dies from sounding stupid.
So, the meeting starts, and my heart is, like, pounding. Seriously, I could feel it in my throat. Everyone’s talking about quarterly reports and whatever, and I’m just trying to breathe.
Then, there’s this pause. It’s now or never. I blurted out some question about the marketing strategy. It wasn’t even a good question, honestly. It was kind of basic.
The Result?
But… nobody laughed. Nobody rolled their eyes. My boss actually answered the question, and then someone else chimed in, and it turned into a whole discussion! I even added a couple more comments after that.
And, learned to play some guitar,too.
What I Learned
It sounds dumb, but it was a big deal for me. It felt like I’d, you know, chosen to live a little instead of just letting things happen. And guess what? Nobody died. I didn’t die of embarrassment. My career didn’t die. It was… fine. Actually, it was better than fine. It was good.
So, I’m going to keep trying this. Maybe next week, I’ll try that weird fermented fish. Or maybe I’ll finally ask out that cute barista. Small steps, but each one feels like a little victory. A little “I choose to live” moment. And that’s pretty cool, I think.
