I just got done trying to explain to my grandmother why I find it okay to spend an exorbitant amount of money on a week-long wellness retreat.
She even proposed that she’ll wake me up early, make food, and take all my electronics away so I can get the same experience. And demanded to get paid the same amount of money for it. Very clever, I must say.
That clearly didn’t work out….
But here are four things that you should totally experience at least once in your life.
Attaining a Body You Feel Great In
It doesn’t need to be a shape, it just needs to feel good.
One can look attractive and be unhealthy, or have a bit of chub and be healthy. Aesthetics don’t equal well-being.
Prioritise health over an Instagram model shape. You feel happy and your body thrives being in a state where it’s preventing a few thousand diseases.
And if you don’t take shortcuts like fad diets, it’s likely that you’ll enjoy it and sustain it. If you choose to take shortcuts, then you might hop back to square one once you stop it.
My personal experience
When I was obese, I had PCOD and shopped in the men’s section since I was a teen, so I could wear oversized t-shirts.
I initially started my fitness journey to ‘lose weight’. But with time, I loved how I felt and I became more confident.
Now, I’m exercising and eating healthy for 8 years!
Why should you do it?
But when you’re healthy you feel more energetic, you feel like your body is happy, you feel so good about yourself.
You deserve to feel that way.
Travelling Solo
It’s not a social media craze like I thought during my first solo trip to Amsterdam because my social anxiety kicked in and I thought I’ve got myself into some social media vanity trap.
With time, I realised I made the best decision of my life. So I so travelled a lot that year.
Being in unfamiliar places and unpredictable situations makes you hyper-aware. It makes you spend more time with yourself, absorb the culture, speak to people from across the world and live in a way you haven’t before.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” –Mark Twain
Even if it’s a 4-day trip, do it. It won’t be easy, you may be anxious, and you may question your decisions. But you’ll come back changed, for good.
My personal experience
I’ve solo travelled to about 10 countries. My longest trip was 19 days long across 6 countries and 7 cities in Europe.
It happened four years ago, but it’s become a part of me. If I could hop back to any time in life, it’ll be this.
It shaped my values and perspectives deeply.
My biggest realisation was that we’re not individual beings at all. We’re connected to a big, big world where we’re a mere speck in the universe. So we should take things lightly and enjoy life a little more.
Why should you do it?
Because you should know yourself and the world around you. This experience will teach you things books and movies cannot. It’ll create an experience that you’ll never forget.
Pub crawls, getting lost, hostel dinners, meeting people — it’s so, so much fun!
Being in Love
Being heartbroken sucks. Because when that happens, everything around you sucks.
Everything hurts, and you feel you’d never be able to trust anybody in the world again. It’s just so painful!
But it’s still worth it because love is a chance you take. It’s a chance you take not knowing where it’ll lead you because nothing happens according to the plan — and that’s life.
But the feeling of being in love… it’s beautiful. Everything feels vibrant. You look forward to each passing day, and life feels complete.
That makes it all worth it, doesn’t it?
“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.” — Maya Angelou
My personal experience
Right now, I’m engaged to somebody I’m grateful for every single day.
But it hasn’t been easy before him, and I’m happy it wasn’t. Because it led me to meet this wonderful person.
Why should you do it?
It makes life sweeter. You’ll smile more often. It gives you butterflies in your tummy and even makes the worse days so much better.
Making Money Online
It’s powerful, you know.
I’m off hardcore work for 10 weeks at the moment because I felt like it, and I can. This feeling of owning my time feels powerful.
Think of people who move to bigger cities with skyrocketing rents and spend on commutes. Now, they can save all of that and make money online at their own convenience.
There isn’t a better time in the world to try this than right now.
My personal experience
It’s given me the freedom I didn’t even know existed a year ago. It’s given me financial security, which would’ve taken me years to get otherwise.
Oh, and I work half the time I did earlier.
Why should you do it?
To diversify your income portfolio and try something new.
Side Hustling
“The truth is that finding happiness in what you do every day is so imperative.” — Gary Vaynerchuk
A side hustle is a hobby or work you do outside of your 9–5 (it may or may not make money).
Pick a skill or learn a new one.
Work on it.
Build in public.
Connect with other people doing it.
You don’t have to do it to make money, because making money via side hustling is super hard and takes a long, long time. But do it because you’ll learn so much.
My personal experience
Side hustling for 10 months helped me quit my job and get closer to living the life of my values. Need I say more?
Why should you do it?
Because it’s just so much fun. It will be difficult in the beginning, but the more you practise your skill, the better you’ll get.
And who knows, maybe you’ll make a living out of it (if that’s what you want).
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama
Like I told my grandma today, it’s just one life.
Where will I stack up the money? How much stacking up is enough?
Live while you can, and collect experiences that make life better.
That makes it even more worth it.