What Olivia Learned About Saying Yes to New Experiences

Olivia had always been a planner. She liked knowing what was coming next, scheduling her days down to the minute, and keeping things safe and predictable. She didn’t consider herself boring... she just valued stability.

But deep down, she sometimes wondered if she was missing out. She watched her friends take spontaneous road trips, try new foods, or even move to new cities on a whim. Olivia admired their courage, but every time she had the chance to do something new, she hesitated.

That all changed one summer when she decided to challenge herself in a way she never had before.

The Invitation That Changed Everything

It started with a simple invitation.

Her best friend, Mia, called her one Friday afternoon with excitement in her voice.

"Olivia! I just booked a weekend trip to Costa Rica with a group of friends, and we have one extra spot. You HAVE to come!"

Olivia's stomach twisted. A spontaneous trip? To a country she had never been to? With people she barely knew? That was a solid no.

“I don’t know, Mia,” Olivia replied. “That’s so last-minute, and I have work on Monday. Plus, I don’t even have the right clothes for a trip like that.”

Mia groaned. “Come on, Liv! You always do this. You always find a reason to say no. Just once, say yes and see what happens.”

Olivia sighed. Her mind raced through all the reasons why she shouldn’t go. But then a tiny voice in her head whispered: What if this time, you just go for it?

Before she could overthink it, Olivia took a deep breath and said, “Okay… I’m in.”

Mia screamed with excitement. “YES! You won’t regret this.”

Stepping into the Unknown

Two days later, Olivia found herself on a plane heading to Costa Rica, gripping her seat’s armrests with a mix of excitement and anxiety.

When they arrived, she was immediately hit with the warmth of the sun, the scent of the ocean, and the energy of a place so different from home. She still felt out of her element, but she reminded herself... this is what I signed up for.

Her first big challenge came the next morning when the group decided to go zip-lining. Olivia was terrified of heights.

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,” one of Mia’s friends said kindly.

Olivia almost backed out. The idea of flying over treetops with nothing but a harness strapped to her was insane. But then she thought: I said yes to this trip... why stop now?

So she stepped forward, took a deep breath, and let the instructor clip her onto the zipline.

Before she knew it, she was soaring through the jungle, wind in her hair, the world beneath her stretching out in every direction. And for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t thinking about schedules, responsibilities, or doubts... she was just living.

When she reached the other side, adrenaline still pumping, she laughed out loud. I can’t believe I almost missed out on this.

The Power of Saying Yes

That weekend, Olivia kept pushing herself to embrace the unfamiliar.

She ate foods she couldn’t pronounce, danced barefoot on the beach under the stars, and even tried surfing (which ended in more wipeouts than she’d like to admit).

But something surprising happened... she loved it. She loved the thrill of doing something unexpected. She loved the feeling of possibility.

On the last night of the trip, she sat by the ocean, reflecting on everything she had experienced in just a few short days.

“If I had said no to this trip,” Olivia realized, “I would’ve been at home, doing the same things I always do, stuck in my routine. But instead, I’m here, feeling more alive than ever.”

Bringing the Lesson Home

When Olivia returned home, she decided she wouldn’t let herself slip back into her old patterns. She didn’t have to book a trip every weekend to keep the momentum going, but she could start saying yes to new experiences in her everyday life.

So she signed up for a painting class, even though she hadn’t picked up a brush since elementary school.

She started going to networking events instead of talking herself out of them.

She accepted an invitation to a weekend hiking trip with a coworker she barely knew.

And she even started dating again... something she had avoided for months, telling herself she was too busy.

Each time she said yes, she felt her world expand just a little bit more.

The Final Realization

Months later, Mia asked her, “Do you even recognize the person you were before?”

Olivia smiled. “Not really. And I’m okay with that.”

She had spent years avoiding the unknown, thinking it was safer to stick to what she knew. But she had learned that true safety wasn’t about avoiding risk... it was about trusting herself to handle whatever came her way.

Now, when she faced something new, she didn’t automatically look for reasons to say no.

Instead, she asked herself, What’s the worst that could happen?

And more importantly... What amazing thing might happen if I just say yes?

That simple shift in perspective changed everything.

And Olivia knew, without a doubt, she would never let fear keep her from experiencing life again.