YOLO (You Only Live Once)

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Alas, a post about what might be the most overused term of 2012: YOLO (rhymes with Rolo, Bolo, Zolo, Golo, and Burrito, depending on how you say it). Yolo is an acronym used for the saying “You Only Live Once.”

While mottos like “Carpe Diem” and “live like today is your last day” have always been around, YOLO was made most popular by Canadian rapper Drake in his super fly hit, “The Motto.” Since this songs release in late 2011, YOLO has become the motto of the teens and 20-somethings worldwide. For a phrase that seems so easy to understand, it’s really much more vibrant than you think.

When I think about the fact that I only live once, a lot of alarms go off.

  • Go to the gym. No more french fries or you’ll never meet your son’s girlfriend and make fun of her little braces.
  • Make better decisions. Don’t go breaking peoples hearts and making a mess around you. You don’t get to do this whole thing over. If you make a mess, try your hardest to clean it up.
  • If you love people, you better freaking tell them. ALWAYS.
  • Don’t get a tattoo on your shoulder. When you get married, everyone will see that little tattoo of Ryan Seacrest chilling on your shoulder, and you will regret it.
  • Don’t be lazy! You only have one life. JUST ONE. Get off the couch and kiss Netflix goodbye for a hot second.
  • Dance often and dance hard, but not if you’re in a well-lit area because everyone can see your pit stains.
  • You are not a cat. You do not have 9 lives. Like the saying goes, you only live ONCE.
  • NEVER go into a parking lot alone at night because you’re going to get kidnapped and you’re going to hate it. This rule is never to be taken lightly.
  • Lastly, make people around you laugh, and make sure their day is a little better because of you. It’s not that hard if you would just stop looking at your phone for 10 seconds. Just smile at somebody, and then go back to your turtle-like shellish ways.

Those are the things I personally think about when I think about the fact that I will only live once. Now, I am not the majority. This is what the rest of the world thinks when they say YOLO:

  • I can eat whatever I want. I mean, my arteries are basically closed at this point, but I need this cheeseburger with Oreos, cream cheese, and soda spilt all over it. YOLO!
  • Bad decisions do not matter in the least. I have one life, and it’s basically my chance to mess up all over the place. No one matters except for me, and I would enjoy to stomp on everyone’s hearts. YOLO!
  • I guess I really like him, but I’d rather play games by texting his best uncle for a while. YOLO!
  • Let’s get a cross tattoo on our foreheads?!?! And how funny would it be if we both got YOLO tattooed on our butts and bellies? Are you in? YOLO!
  • I only have one life to lay on this couch and watch as many J-Lo movies on Netflix as I can. Believe me, there are only 2, and I am not sure how many more times I can watch “Maid in Manhattan,” but I will. YOLO!
  • I do not care about my personal safety at all. Let’s get ourselves into the most dangerous situations possible, because it would be way more fun to die tonight than when I am a mother of 3 and an established and grateful woman. YOLO!
  • Let’s drink until I throw up and make everyone carry me around. I am going to do some pretty weird drugs, hopefully shrooms, and not remember any of this. I would like to make careless decisions and spend every penny I have on marshmallows, because I only live once. Things are about to get real weird. YOLO!

Things you need to know: Think about the choices you make when you realize you only live once. Have some fun, live and learn, try new things, and be nice to other people. But be careful, they don’t joke around when they say you’ve only got one life. Stop with the weird tattoos, less of the self-harming thoughts, and make other people smile.