I was listening to my Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist the other day when a song came on. It wasn’t like a normal song though, it was really just someone talking with some soft instrumental music in the background. It was called ‘Almost’ by Your World Within. Something that really stuck with me from this song was the lyrics “I will do everything in my power to be on the right side of almost.” As an avid words lover, I think this is beautiful. It really got me thinking about what that means and how I can apply this concept to my life.
Life is full of choices. Some are trivial, you can wear this dress or that pair of jeans. Get Pumpkin Cheesecake (yay fall flavors!🍂) or Birthday Cake Remix ice cream. Some choices are big and can impact what path you take, do you run cross country or swim in college? Take this class or that one? These choices can certainly have an impact on you, whether it be on your day, college experience, or even your life. What I’ve been realizing lately however is that the choices that make the biggest impact are the “almost” ones. The chances that you almost took or almost didn’t take. The times when you let fear get the best of you and the times when you dove in head first.
I’ve taken my fair share of chances. There’s also quite a few chances that I didn’t take. I think what it comes down to is that some choices are simply one or the other and some choices are take a chance or never know and feel the regret. Don’t almost buy the plane ticket, or almost ask the boy out, or almost reach out to someone. Being on the right side of almost means going on the big adventures, and the little ones. It means telling that special someone how you feel even if it ends up ripping your heart out. It means reaching out even though you might not get a response. Because here’s the thing, what if that trip changes the way you see the world? What if, after being hurt time after time, that person is the one who changes everything? What if the person you reach out to has a huge impact on your life? One of the worst feelings is being on the wrong side of almost. Wondering what could of been, what would have happened.
I can’t claim to always be on the right side of almost but I can say that I’m actively trying to be. When I’m at a crossroads or faced with a chance to take I think about this quote. Putting yourself out there in any situation can be scary but I think what’s scarier is missing out on something amazing. The life I want to live is on the right side of almost. So is the person I want to be. The right side of almost might lead you down some interesting paths. Being on the right side of almost has taken me on some incredible adventures around the world, if I had ignored that little voice in my head that said ‘Go to France’ 3 years ago I’d be an entirely different person. Being on the right side of almost has also given me some incredible heartache, but I’ve learned that rejection is nothing to be scared of. It has given me some of my best friends and some of my best memories.
We make tons of choices every day. I hope that when it comes down to it you’re brave enough to take the risk, to speak up, and to live your truth.
What’s your right side of almost story? You know I’d love to hear from you!
Hugs,
Elisabeth
