5 Life Lessons I Learned From Yes Theory

Yes Theory is a Youtube Channel started by 4 guys: Ammar Kandil, Derin Emre, Thomas Brag, and Matt Dajer. They want to spread a message of positivity and “bucket list” concepts to everyone in the world.

They started in 2015 and now they have made over 300 videos on Youtube and gained over 5 million subscribers and counting.

Now I’m not gonna tell their whole story. You can watch their videos and read about them if you want to know more about them.

What I do want to share with you today is how they taught me how to live my life. As in truly live, not just surviving and not just going through the motions.

I want to share 5 Life Lessons That I Learned from them and I hope that these lessons from them can teach you how to live life too.

1. Go Out of Your Comfort Zone

The most famous line or slogan that Yes Theory has is these two words: “Seek Discomfort.” It basically means you have to go out of your comfort zone to unleash your potential and get to live the life that you want.

They don’t just preach it, they also live it. From their craziest stunts that include:

• Hiking in the freezing snow only in their underwear
• Sneaking through the security to get into big time events for free
• Exploring abandoned and scary places
• Traveling alone
• Bungee Jumping

And much, much more. They also said that you don’t have to go do these extreme activities to seek discomfort. It can be as simple as talking to a stranger and sharing your stories, trying something new, being completely vulnerable with someone.

Whatever uncomfortable task you can think of, you have to do them. Overcome your fears and grow out of your comfort zone.

2. Keep Moving On After Every Rejection

“No.”

Another common thing that the boys in Yes Theory do is that they ask strangers to go with them and usually go on a crazy adventure together.

For most people, this may seem really weird, creepy, and inappropriate, but Yes Theory believes in this quote: “A Stranger is Just A Friend You Haven’t Met Yet” by Will Rogers.

It’s true that all of our friends that we met in our lives are strangers at first. What also amazed me about this is how they keep going.

There are so many people that keep saying no to them, but they didn’t stop until someone says yes to their adventure or request.

This amazed me, I’ve learned about this in other self-help books, but these boys confirmed the power of not being afraid of rejection. It made me lose my fear of getting rejected at anything, be it in my career, dating or love life, relationships, etc.

Remember that everybody goes through some sort of rejection at some point in their lives. You will experience a lot more people saying no to you rather than people saying yes to you.

But if you keep asking for what you want, you will eventually get that yes you’ve been wanting.

3. You Need To Have A Supportive Community

Yes Theory also preaches the importance of a supportive community. They made a Facebook group titled “Yes Theory Fam” which has now over 100,000+ members.

Not only that but the members in so many countries made their own Yes Theory group in their own countries. There is also a Discord group.

I’m a part of a few of these groups. These groups have been the most supportive and positive groups I have ever been a part of.

It makes me excited to meet all of them once this pandemic is over.

It’s important for everyone to have a community where they support and lift each other up. Nobody can live life and achieve their goals on their own.

The most successful people I know have a team around them who support each other and help them achieve their goals and wildest dreams.

4. You Should Choose Love As Much As Possible

One particular video that Yes Theory made is the “Love Over Fear” video where they raised awareness about the ISIS terror attacks and how it divided people.

They showed that just because you have different nationalities, beliefs, looks, social status, or any other differences you may have with each other, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be friends with each other.

The 4 members of Yes Theory, all of them have their differences. Despite their differences though, they still formed a strong bond, that can be called a brotherhood.

If you have friends that have a lot of differences from yourself, don’t let your differences divide you. Love them despite whatever difference you may have with each other.

5. Live Your Life According To What You Want

Another quote by Yes Theory is “Live The Dash.” Think about tombstones. They usually have a Birth Date, a Dash, and a Death Date. The dash part is everything you do in your life between when you were born and when you kick the bucket.

The question is, what did you do in that “dash part of your life.” Did you truly live? Did you do the things that you want to do? Did you form loving relationships with people? Did you do your best to be a good person?

Whatever you do in your life is up to you. But, it’s your life, no matter what the people around you say, it’s your own life that you have. So why not live it according to what you want?

Yes Theory is one of the best Youtube channels I’ve ever subscribed to and one of the best communities I’ve ever been a part of. For me, they deserve to have at least 50 million subscribers and millions of community members.

What they’re teaching us and what they’re doing for the world is priceless and what the world needs right now.

Follow their example and go Seek Discomfort, Choose Love Over Fear, and Live The Dash!

27 Life Lessons for my 27th Birthday

I just turned 27 years old yesterday. For some people it might be young, for some, it might be getting up there. For me, it's just the right age. I've learned a lot of things in my life, I hope to impart this knowledge to you, especially if you're younger than me.

1) Most people aside from your family and close friends don't care about you, so don't worry about what other people think, because almost nobody is thinking about you at all.

2) Start working on your goals right now, one year from now, you would have wished that you started today.

3) Exercise for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. Your body will thank you for it.

4) You don't have to eat really clean, but eat healthier. Even if you want to binge eat junk food and sweets, throw in some veggies and fruits there as well.

5) You will never know what something is really like until you try it out for yourself.

6) If you have a crush on someone, then go talk to him/her, then eventually ask that person out. You never know they might say yes.

7) Rejection is a part of life. Everybody gets rejected. The most successful people have gone through an enormous amount of rejection.

8) Read. Your brain will get stronger, you will get smarter, and you will learn a lot of things that are important in life.

9) Apply what you read. Knowledge is useless without application. Knowledge is not power, applied knowledge is.

10) Get at least 7 hours of sleep, because sleep is a basic need for everyone. If you don't get enough sleep then you will have health problems.

11) The best way to improve at anything or any skill is to practice a little every day. There's a quote about being 1% every day and you will be 365% better at the end of one year.

12) Sometimes it's better to be kind than to be right. The people around you will like you better and you will make more friends.

13) Be humble, there's no such thing as a person who knows everything.

14) Find ways rather than excuses. If you want something then there's always a way. If not, then there's always an excuse.

15) Have empathy. This is the best thing to have if you want to become a better person overall.

16) If you're using the internet all the time, then minimize social media or other time wasters and use it well like studying online courses or reading personal development blogs or watching self-help videos on Youtube.

17) It's better to have one or two true friends than twenty fake friends.

18) Try to remember a person's name. They will like you better for it. A person's name is probably the sweetest sound they can hear.

19) Don't be too serious in life, a sense of humor is a requirement for a happy life. It's also an attractive trait to have if you're looking to date.

20) Based on a study about happiness, the two best things that you should spend your money on for a happier life is on relationships and experiences (like traveling or skydiving). These two will make you infinitely happier than spending your money on material things.

21) What one man can do, another man can do. All of us are humans. The most successful people are in one way or another just like you. If they can do it, you can too.

22) Travel. You will learn a lot if you travel. You will see the world. You will never forget the experience.

23) Forgive. Forgive the people who have wronged you. You will feel better and it will prolong your life. Holding a grudge against someone is like drinking poison yourself, hoping that the other person dies. 

24) Try to smile more. Smiling will make you happier, more likable and more attractive.

25) If you want to be successful, then listen to people who are actually successful in your field. Do not listen to your friends or family or anyone else if they themselves are not successful at whatever you want to be successful at.

26) We're all going to die. You never know when you will kick the bucket. There's no reason to not do the things in life that you want to do if you know this.

27) If you're religious, then pray to God and don't hesitate to ask Him for what you want, and also what you need. Sometimes He will answer your prayer, sometimes He won't, sometimes He will answer your prayer only after some time has passed. Whatever His response is, don't forget to thank Him for it. Also, some prayers are only going to be answered if you do your part and work for it or take action. God is more likely to help people who're willing to do the work. There's a saying in Filipino: "Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa." Translated to English, it means: God provides mercy, man provides the work.

I hope these 27 life lessons give you new knowledge and meaning in your life. I sincerely hope that you will actually use it and apply it to your life. These lessons are applicable to any person at any age. I'm sure that if you apply these lessons to your own life, you will live a more meaningful life. One of my birthday wishes is to inspire a lot of people, and I hope this post will inspire whoever is reading right now.

Why there is no such thing as a "League" in Dating or Romantic Relationships

I'm sure you've heard of these phrases: "She's out of my league, she'll never date me." or "He's out my league, he'll never ask me out." What is this "league" that people are talking about when it comes to dating?

From my experience, this "league" that people are talking about is nothing more than a superficial concept that people a long time ago made up. Most of it has to do with a physical attractiveness of a person and his/her partner. 

When the guy is ugly and the girl he's dating is pretty, people will say "oh he's rich" or "oh that girl must have low standards." When the girl is ugly and the guy is good-looking, people will say "that guy must have an exotic taste." 

It's a toxic and shallow concept that people unconsciously use. If a "league" was true, then there would be no ugly guys with attractive girlfriends, there would be no ugly girls with attractive husbands. It has to stop.

What people don't realize is another age old concept that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." There are other things that make people attractive other than their looks or how pretty of a face they have. 

• Physical Fitness/Aesthetics/Athleticism

People can't change their face, but they can change their body. Studies show that an attractive body makes up for an unattractive face. This goes for both men and women.

People are attracted to fit people because they have a high amount of sex appeal. I know guys and girls who don't have a really attractive face, but they regularly workout and maintain their body, and a lot of people are still attracted to them.

• Personality

What's the use of being attractive if you have a personality of a rock? Yes you might be hot, but you're not fun to be around or talk to. People still won't be attracted to you.

I know a girl in college, she's below average in looks, some might even call her ugly, but she has the funnest personality in the class. She can make anyone laugh and have a good time. Needless to say that there are guys who ask her out on a regular basis because of that.

• Confidence

You might be the most attractive person in the room, but you don't even believe it. You believe that you're ugly, even though the people around you take a second look at you when they notice you.

Sometimes being attractive is a mindset. If you believe that you're handsome/beautiful, other people are going to start believing you too.

I know one girl who looks like a model, but she believes she's ugly because her older brothers kept teasing her when she was younger. It's a waste because she's repelling guys just because of her low self-confidence.

• Interest/Hobbies

Cool hobbies makes you attractive. Guys who play guitar, no matter how good looking they are, will get girls attracted to them. Girls who play sports, especially the sports dominated by men, will get guys attracted to them because they stand out(and they're also physically fit).

Hobbies and interests make a person's life interesting, and who wouldn't be attracted to an interesting person?

• Career/Money

Last but not the least, your career or financial status. For the career, as long as you have a decent job that pays the bills, you will be an attractive potential partner for stability reasons. It's only a bonus if your job or business pays high.

As for the money, there's an old saying "No money, no honey." Let's face it, money is important in life. You can't do most things without money. Yes money can't buy happiness, but it can buy things or experiences that will make you happy. It can also buy things you actually need like food, water, a house, medicine etc. This is the main reason why most attractive women are somewhat attracted to guys who are rich or well off. 

These are the main things that makes a person attractive, other than their looks. If you have even just one or two of these, you will be an attractive person, no matter how good looking you are. 

A "league" won't even be a problem for you. You will be on a league of your own.

Why Taking A Break From Social Media Can Do Wonders For Your Mental Health

Can people actually "take a break" from social media? Is it possible with most people spending at least a few hours day on social media? Will this actually improve my mental health?

Over the past two decades, the internet and social media has taken the world by storm. Almost everyone these days has an account in the major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. When you want to find a person, you just have to search his/her name in the search bar and you will find that person(unless that person's name is very common like John Smith).

There is a main downside to social media, and this is the cause of why mental health issues are rising to an all time high in recent years. This phenomenon is called "FOMO" or "Fear Of Missing Out." It basically means that you feel like you're missing out on life compared to your peers or other people in your life. This leads to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues that plague the masses today.

There is a simple solution to this problem, and that is taking a break from social media. Allow yourself at least 1-2 days without browsing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, or any other major social media platforms. Other people even do this for a week, a month, or even a year! 

Think about this for a second, the average person spends at least 2 hours on social media. On specific platforms, people spend an average of 40 minutes a day on Youtube, 35 minutes a day on Facebook, 25 minutes a day on Snapchat, and 15 minutes a day on Instagram.With those 2 hours you can do something productive or healthier than social media.

Here's a list of my own ideas I compiled that you can do on your free time to replace your time on social media.

You can:

• Work out at the gym
• Read a book
• Spend time with your family and friends
• Learn a new skill
• Do a hobby
• Learn new things
• Read the newspaper
• Spend time with your pets
• Meet new people
• Play a sport

These things above are only my idea of things you can do rather than mindlessly scroll through your Facebook or Instagram feed. In one week, you would have spent 14 hours on social media. You can do a lot with those 14 hours!

Not only will you be more productive, but you will do yourself, particularly your mental health a huge favor, when you do this. You will now see how much time you are actually wasting on these platforms. Every post, every picture, every stories, do you really need to see them?

Take a break from social media, and see how your life changes for the better. See how taking a break from Facebook, Instagram or Twitter will do wonders for your mental health. You'll be glad that you did this and realize that you can live in the world without checking your Facebook notifications or Instagram likes.

How to Start Taking Care of Yourself

Taking care of yourself is a must for everybody, no matter who you are. Sure, it's the job of doctors or nurses to take care of people, but not all the time is there going to be a doctor, nurse, or even another person that's going to take care of you and attend to your every need.

It's part of being an adult, knowing how to take care of yourself even if there's nobody around to help you.

If you're having a hard time knowing how to practice self-care, then here are a few tips:

1) Get Some Alone Time

I don't care of you're extroverted, introverted or ambiverted, all of us need alone time. Even the people considered social butterflies need some time for themselves.

Being around other people can drain your energy, especially if some of those people are toxic. There's nothing wrong with staying at home and binge watching Netflix or YouTube videos.

You don't have to lock yourself in your bedroom though. You can be alone in a public place like sitting alone in a park bench or a library.

Take at least half an hour or an hour a day to be alone. This will recharge your energy to get you through the week.

2) Spend Time With Loved Ones

This contradicts the first step, but it's also important. Too much isolation from other people can drive a person crazy. Humans are mostly social creatures after all.

That being said, make sure that the people you spend your time with are people you actually love, or at least people with a positive influence. You don't want to waste your time with toxic and pessimistic people.

Spending time with loved ones can boost your mood instantly. It can change your crappy day to a happy day.

Lastly, they won't be around forever. It's crucial to spend as much time with them now than regret not being with them later in your life.

3) Exercise

This is a no brainer and everybody knows this, but why do some people still hesitate to actually do it?

Exercising not only has physical benefits, but also mental ones. It produces powerful chemicals in your brain that make you feel good.

If you're having a bad day, a short workout at the gym or a quick run might be a good solution. You can even do exercises at home like push-ups, crunches, air squats, planks, etc.

Plus, you're going to look healthy and fit, which can help you when you decide to go on a date.

4) Do Activities or Hobbies That You Like

I haven't met a person that has absolutely no hobbies. Everyone has something.

This can make your life a lot more interesting and exciting than it is now.

I personally like going to the gym and playing sports. These two hobbies have helped me shape a more interesting life, plus it's connected to the previous tips so I'm also getting exercise.

Find a hobby that you like and you will not only become less bored but you will also be a more interesting and happy person.

5) Try Something New

If you've been doing the same thing for the past couple of months, or even years, then it's time to try something new. Probably one of the reasons why you've been feeling down lately is because of your old routine.

Try something new for a change. It can be anything. Try going to a place you've never been to before, eat a dish you've never tried eating, watch a movie genre you don't usually watch, etc. 

Novelty is never boring and will spice up your life.

6) Talk To a Professional or Someone You Trust

If you're still feeling down, and maybe this has been going on for a long time, then maybe you should take drastic measures. 

Talking to a professional Psychiatrist/Psychologist/Therapist will save you from further damage you can do to yourself. Just find a professional that is willing to genuinely help you because not all professionals in the mental health industry will be able to help you.

If you can't do that for whatever reason, then talk to the people around you, your loved ones. Find someone who's willing to listen to you without judging you. 

You will definitely feel better after you let out these pent up feelings. Talking to someone will most probably save your life.

Taking care of yourself is a never ending journey. You will have to do this for the rest of your life. It's tiring, but it will be worth it. No price is too big to pay for your health. As the saying goes: "Health is Wealth."

3 Lessons I Learned From Kobe Bryant

Most kids today who watch basketball, idolize guys like Stephen Curry, Lebron James, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and all the other current all stars in the NBA today. When I was a kid though, there was one player who everybody idolized and looked up to, that player was Kobe Bryant. Kobe was a player who could do it all. He can score, shoot, pass, rebound, defend, and do low post moves better than most big men in his time. Whenever people round my age shoot, they scream "Kobe!" Even when kids pretend to play basketball around a garbage can in a classroom, when they shoot, they scream "Kobe!" That's how Kobe affected the basketball world forever. He was my generation's Michael Jordan.

There are some lessons I learned from Kobe Bryant, lessons that can be applied anywhere not just in basketball.

1) Work Super Hard to Become Super Successful

"I heard the ball bouncing. No lights were on. Practice was at about 11, it was probably about 9, 9:30. And I go out to the court and I look, and there's Kobe Bryant. He's out there shooting in the dark. And I stood there for probably about ten seconds, and I said, 'This kid is gonna be great.'" -Byron Scott

If there was one thing insane about Kobe Bryant, it was his insane work ethic. There were many stories about Kobe's work ethic from his former teammates and the people around him. Stories like how he was the very first player to arrive in the court and the last player to leave the court. One story I heard was that Kobe slept for only 3-4 hours and use those extra waking hours to practice. Whenever I play basketball to practice it's even less than 30 minutes!

This was a huge part in Kobe Bryant's success in his NBA career. He was willing to work harder than any other player in the league. We can all see how that turned out as he became one of the top 10 NBA players of all time. 

If you want to be super successful at anything then you have to work super hard also. If you want to be a top person of all time in your field, then be prepared to work, hustle, and grind like you never did before.

2) Be Resilient When Faced with an Obstacle

“I have moments and I have days where I doubt myself. But to me, that’s the exciting part of the challenge.That’s when I realize this is a great opportunity to come out and show everybody this is how you bounce back. This is how you respond to a challenge.” – Kobe Bryant

Hardcore Kobe fans remember his "airball game" when he was a rookie in the NBA. It happened against the Utah Jazz in the post season where he shot a few air balls which caused them to lose the series against the Jazz. Kobe faced a lot of criticism and hate during this time. He even doubted himself. He could have folded and played normally, but he used this as motivation. The season after that in his first game against the Jazz, Kobe scored 23 points off the bench beating the Jazz that game, getting his revenge.

Everybody faces adversity, obstacles, and setbacks in their lives. Nobody in the world has never experienced some form of failure or rejection in their lives. What defines us is how we respond to these setbacks in our lives. Successful people have a tendency to bounce back after every failure or setback that happens to them.

3) Learn From Other People

“I cold call people and pick their brain about stuff. Some of the questions I ask seem really really simple and some of them seem stupid, quite honestly, for them. But if I don’t know, I don’t know. I have to ask. I’ll just do that and ask questions. I want to learn more about how they build their business and how they run their companies and how they see the world.” – Kobe Bryant

After Kobe's basketball career, he ventured into other fields and became an entrepreneur. Last year, he even won an Oscar for an animated short film he did titled "Dear Basketball." 

This shows that you can be successful at any area you choose. In the case of Kobe, just because he was a basketball player for most of his life, doesn't mean he only going to be successful in that field. With the right training, practice and coaching, anyone can become successful at almost anything. It also helps if you ask for advice from people who are already successful at that field you want to be successful at. 

Kobe Bryant is a basketball legend. We can learn many things from his basketball career and his life. If you want to model your success after any NBA player, then Kobe might be one of the best role models out there.

The Bravest People I Know

How do we define bravery? What exactly makes a person brave? Based on the dictionary, brave is defined as "ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage." Bravery is defined as simply "courageous behavior or character." What does a brave person look like in every day life?

Bravery may have a different image for different kinds of people. What you define as brave might not be brave for another person. For me though, I know three kinds of people that definitely fits the criteria, or even candidates for being the bravest people.

1) People who keep going for their dreams or goals, despite endless rejection or failure

Rejection and failure are two of the most hurtful things a person can experience, they happen to everybody. Despite that, every successful person has gone through a large number of rejections or failures. 

If you search the life story of your favorite celebrity, there's a 100% chance that he or she had to go through a massive amount of rejection or failure that a normal person couldn't handle or is not willing to go through.

If you are one of these people, I commend you for having the courage to keep going for your dreams. Never give up!

2) People who keep loving like they haven't experienced heartbreak

Let's face it, nobody wants to go through a breakup. Actually you're lucky if you have experienced a breakup, other people have experienced worse like being cheated on or being ghosted. Normally, people will build up hatred after experiencing these. Men will hate women, women will hate men. They also will be hesitant to get into another relationship after a failed one/s. 

Some people though, are so brave, that they keep putting themselves out there. They keep dating, or getting into relationships, despite the fact that they've been hurt by their exes in the past. Eventually, they find love and get married to a person who's perfect for them.

I admire these people, it makes me questions my own mindset when it comes to dating or relationships.

3) People who live with a mental illness, and is continuing to live or even living a great life despite it

When it comes to physical illness, people around you are ready to comfort you; when it comes to mental illness though, people around you will tend to avoid you. That's the sad truth for mental health, it has a stigma even in modern times.

Insensitive people or clueless people will label these people with mental illnesses as "crazy" or "abnormal" or "insane" while not knowing the backstory of these kinds of people.

Whenever I see a person who's successful and has experienced having a mental illness, I get inspired a lot. Despite the world being cruel to them, they fought through it, and are still fighting for their lives today.

If you haven't had a mental illness, then consider yourself lucky. The world is different for these kinds of people. In a video game, it's like normal people are playing with the normal difficulty, while people with mental illness are playing with the super hard difficulty.

I suggest you study up about mental health, who knows, maybe one of the people closest to you is experiencing this right now and you're not even aware of it. 

If you are one of these people: get professional help, get support from trusted people, and more importantly, keep going, keep fighting, and keep living.