Don't Wait

Oliver Roos

Someone I follow on social media posed this question recently: If you could advise your 18-year-old self, what would you say?

My answer would be two words. 

Don’t wait. 

Don’t wait for the perfect job opportunity or situation. Go after it now and make it happen. 

Don’t wait for permission from others. Give yourself permission. 

Don’t wait for others to invite you. Invite others instead. 

Don’t wait for others to stay in touch. Pick up the phone and initiate contact. 

Don’t wait for people who do not want to be in your life. Move on and find the ones who do.  

Don’t wait to pursue your interests — even if you have to do it alone. You might just find a new community there. 

Don’t wait to forgive people. Forgive freely. 

Don’t wait to tell others you love or admire them. Tell them now. And tell them frequently. 

Don’t wait to compliment a stranger. If you do, you will have missed an opportunity to make a difference. 

Don’t wait to tell someone that his or her work made a difference in your life. It might be the thing the keeps him or her going. 

Don’t wait. You are not promised tomorrow. And even if you were, waiting to live would still be a mistake. 

At the same time, I would also tell my 18-year-old self waiting isn't always wrong. Sometimes, it’s the best thing to do. But you’ll know the difference when you come to the fork in the road. Just make sure you don’t go down Wait Street and park there when you know deep down that you should go down Action Street and merge into traffic instead.