Personal Narrative: Pinterest Loss

I had found myself filling five water bottles up at the drinking fountain when I asked myself “How did I get here? How did I let myself fall so low?” and that's when it hit me… I had just made a terrible mistake, that I can't undo. It all started when my english class was asked to come up with a challenge to do for 30 days. It didn’t seem too long at the time, I fooled around with the ideas of making a new pinterest food every day; then remembered all the pinterest fails I’ve had. (Quietly shudders)
Remembering I had just watched the movie “Yes Man” over the weekend, I thought it would be the funniest thing ever to live the “Yes Man” life style for my project! I made little rules so I wouldn’t do drugs or spend a fortune on my friends over
the month.
First few days I was ECSTATIC about my new project!!! I was so into my project I wrote a poem about it…..
It’s that simple, yet hard to say word.
The one you have to say or want to say, depending on your attitude.
“YES!” “Yes?” and “Yes. (rolls eyes)”
All the same, but so different.
Yes is not hard for me but, I also like to say No.
Not any more though,
No is gone and all I have left is to say…
YES!!!
I didn’t tell too many people about the 30 day challenge, just my famham and my support group, because I didn't want people taking advantage of me. I was surprised and a little disappointed when my life wasn't playing out like the movie did, but I knew it would eventually so I wasn’t too worried.
Getting into this long journey now, I’m seeing the ugly side of being a “Yes Man”. February 3, 2016 this is the day some of my best friends found out about my project. I went to fill my water bottle and then shawnee, my sister who knew about “Project Yes Man”, asked me to fill hers up to. Usually I would give some sass like “You have legs do it yourself!” (I was joking of course) then I would take her water bottle too. But not today, I just opened my mouth to be all sassy and then reluctantly said “Yes.”. I got some surprised looks from Bryson and Camri, then I looked kinda funny filling two water bottles up at the drinking fountain. I came back and put a new, delicious piece of raspberry sorbet gum in and just started to get it to perfect; and I mean perfect bubble gum blowing gum when shawnee leans over. I knew I was in for it when I saw the smirk on her face. She had ½ a dorito chip and some crumbs left in a little baggie and said “Alexis, Do you want the rest of my doritos?”. On instinct I replied with “No I’m good, I just put gum in.” then it clicked. “Yes, I would love to eat the rest of you doritos.” By this time Bryson, Camri, and Kasy were so lost! They had no idea why I took the chips. Bryson chirped up and asked me a yes or no question, I had to say yes;then Camri, and Kasy. Now they knew... and my life had ended for a month!
Quickly I started noticing I already say yes 95% of the time anyway!
So I guess this got me out of my semi-large bubble, I love to try new things and usually like change. But on February 17, 2016 I was at Mutual and we were playing fugitive, my friend Lauren asked me to try to get to the end with her so I said…….”Ya sure!” I was super tired from practice but she was running so I had to too. We were staked out in this dirt lot and the Young Men's leader drove his truck onto the dirt lots! I was going to get run over! So I jumped up and sprinted toward Sunrise Ridge Intermediate school. Lauren saw the barb wire fence but I didn't! She hurdles the fence, because it not that tall it only came about four inches above my knee, and I rammed full speed ahead into that sucker! You can guess what happened, I flipped face first right on over that fence onto the other side! I landed in a pile of tumbleweeds and spiky bushes! I was laughing so hard!!! I wish I could have watched! And that is just the best part, all the people chasing me in the truck watched the whole thing unfold! So I guess saying yes can be dangerous.
Researching yes is so therapeutic too, if you haven't tried looking up “How to say yes to life” I would really suggest it. I was directed to the site mindful.org and it totally reminded me of the yes man movie! All of these inspirational quotes were drowning me like, “Say yes to your needs. Yes to the need for more time to yourself, more exercise, more love, fewer sweets, and less anger.” (a quote by Rick hansen in the essay How to say “yes” to your life). I for one disagree with the less sweets, candy can solve any
problem.
When I said yes it just made me an overall more positive and happy person. I set a New Year's resolution to be more positive and kinder to everyone I meet, totally forgot about it till I read this on “The Positivity Blog” while I was researching for How to say yes, “Pessimism can really limit your life and bring it to a standstill. It can make it feel like it is no point in trying because it won’t make a difference or you’ll just fail. It can create ceilings and walls made out of glass where there really are none.” (by Henrik Edberg in section 4. Optimism)
I made a survey to see what others said yes too, I was curious after my experience to try to understand if I was the only one who said yes so much or if most people subconsciously say yes all the time.

The Questions:
Your friends want to hangout?
You are asked to try a new food?
A friend ask for a favor?
A stranger asks for some money?
You are asked to get up in front of people and present something on the spot?
You are asked to do something you normally wouldn't?
You are asked to serve a complete stranger for who knows how long?
A leader singles you out and asks for something?
Do you say yes a lot?
Do you say yes 100% of the time?
My results were close to the graphs, some no’s, but mostly yes. It was good to see that so many people are open to change and opportunities. The world is to enclosed with social media and this big ugly cloud that hangs above us. I want to shine through that, because I hate the dark, and saying yes allowed me to shine.
I have learned so much and grown in ways I didn't think I could during this last month, lots of change...this project, birthday, my new cat, track officially starting, but between all of the chaos saying yes gave me more opportunities for peace. “Learning and living are the same. When you stop learning, you start to die a little every day.” a part of a beautiful report of how to widen your horizons with saying yes by a guessed author on lifehack.
Ending my challenge is so great, but also I feel like a little piece of my heart that I have come to love and to live with is moving on to greener pastures. For the first time in a month I said no to my friend Bryson, it felt SO AWESOME!!!! I love to be sassy to Bryson because he is just like a brother to me so he can take it and I was finally allowed to sass him! By this time if I haven't been sassy around you I’m probably scared of you….but saying yes has brought me closer to those I don't know and wanted to get to know. I’m going to leave this with a more positive and open mind toward everything. “You only get one life so don't waste it.” was my favorite quote from lifereimagined.org by Doc. Janet Taylor M.D. That is how I felt through all the up’s, down's, side to sides, and around my whole project. Say “yes”, it's good for you.