“Life is more fun when you embarrass yourself.” I can vividly remember saying this to my best friends as I stood on a chair leading a chant in a crowded restaurant filled with Xavier fans before we headed to the dome to watch our mighty, mighty Saints battle for victory in the state tournament. I was only in eighth grade at the time, and though I wasn’t really thinking about what I was saying, I had no idea how much these words would shape my life for years to come.

I haven’t always been as self-confident as I am today. I can remember being in sixth and seventh grade and so desperately wanting to be well-liked that I thought about every move, every post, and every tweet. High school is not easy, but it was the end of freshman year when I truly found my self-worth and started celebrating myself for who I am. I think it’s fair to say we all feel judgment from others at different times, and no matter how confident we may be, it still hurts. We fear rejection and are so terrified of failure that sometimes we don’t even try. Why have we, as a society, made it embarrassing to fail or to be rejected? Embarrassment is inevitable, failure is necessary, and self-love is worth so much more than any rejection. To be frank, it’s quite lame to shame a person for being human. If you haven’t noticed yet, it’s 2017 and people are expressing themselves more than ever before. It’s about time to get out there and embarrass yourself.

I’m not saying to make a fool of yourself with every opportunity you’re presented with, just don’t take yourself so seriously all the time. My point is that embarrassment is always a possibility, and you shouldn’t shy away from it. Yes, embarrassing yourself can be uncomfortable at times. Your face may turn red, and your hands may get clammy, but this reaction is only temporary. You won’t die, the sun will come up tomorrow, and you now have a memory (and possibly a lesson) to take with you for the long run. Take it from me, a girl who just last week drove three miles with an inflatable swan strapped to the top of my car. All of my windows were down, I drove past a highly populated lemonade stand, and you wouldn’t believe the amount of cars I passed with phones snapping a picture or excitedly honking their horns. When people laughed, I laughed with them. I realized how completely ridiculous I must have looked, but I’ve learned to not care. I could hear my eighth grade self in the back of my head reminding me that “life is more fun when you embarrass yourself.” Think of it this way: if you aren’t embarrassed of something you’re doing, don’t let others be embarrassed for you.

Life isn’t about being comfortable! Life is about learning to laugh at yourself, being brave enough to try something you normally wouldn’t, and having the courage to fail over and over again until you finally succeed. Besides, no one remembers the time they almost went for it, unless it becomes a regret. Living to impress others with the fear of making a mistake creates a lot of tomorrows that look a lot like yesterdays. When you’re old and grey, you’re going to want to have lived a life full of story-worthy moments, not one of regrets.

I have a goal for you, if you’re up to the challenge. Turn embarrassment and failure from negative to positive. Start taking steps out of your comfort zone, even if they are only baby steps. Let’s be the generation known for living life to its absolute fullest and taking every opportunity we’re given. Let’s be the generation that puts ourselves out there time and time again, expressing ourselves without the fear of what the person next to you could be thinking.

I have heard the phrases “That’s embarrassing” or “Aren’t you embarrassed?” enough to last me a lifetime. The reality is, our lives are short. Explore the other side of fear and see what it truly means to be alive. When your moment comes, be the person that’s able to say, “I did it all. I lived.”

Sidney Scott

Mini-Feature Editor