Living Fully Without the Pressure: Redefining YOLO

In this re run of one of our most popular episode we explore the concept of YOLO (You Only Live Once) and how its meaning has evolved from encouraging risk-taking to becoming a source of pressure and anxiety in modern life.

• Different interpretations of YOLO compared to phrases like "carpe diem"
• How YOLO creates pressure to constantly do more and experience everything
• The connection between YOLO and FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
• Why simple moments with loved ones often bring the most fulfillment
• The value of genuine connections versus superficial experiences
• How being present can make your one life feel longer and richer
• The fascinating parallel between dreams and living multiple lives
• Finding balance between seeking new experiences and allowing yourself to rest

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to YOLO
• 4:30 The Pressure of Living Fully
• 9:36 Simple Joys vs. Extreme Experiences
• 13:59 Making Real Connections
• 17:08 Dreams and Living Twice
• 19:56 Final Thoughts on YOLO

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

YOLO, yolo. You only live once. Today, we'll be discussing YOLO. You only live once. Well, most of us do anyway, unless you believe in reincarnation. So tune in and listen to today's episode, get real with the English Sisters, and please do follow us on Apple Podcastsify wherever you get your podcast, because we really do appreciate your support. You've been amazing. Thank you so much for that, and please do continue to support us and leave a comment as well. It makes such a difference. It really does. We do really really love hearing from our listeners. We we recently hit the Taiwan charts too. I know, yay, we had a little celebration for that, didn't we? Yeah, it's amazing, thank you, right, so let's get into it then. You only live once.

Speaker 1: 1:01

I mean, that's just like saying carpe diem, isn't it? You know the old Latin phrase really Well, carpe diem, I think, think, is a bit different for me. In my eyes, your eyes, what do you mean? It's different. It feels as if it would be different, because carpentium would be like whatever. I would just say like whatever. Let's, well, whatever happens, okay, so it happened. So what? Oh, I see it's like let it go. Yeah, let it go. It just it happened, so okay, let that's what happened. So cap and diem, that's what happened.

Speaker 1: 1:37

It's so sort of don't live with regrets or don't you know, don't dwell on something. Well, I guess it, you know, underlying it's kind of the same, meaning you only live once, so don't waste time regretting and worrying about stuff. But is that what you mean by only live once? Is now, it's the way it's used. It's like oh, let's do this dangerous thing because you only live once. Well, I do think that might have been the case when the first, when the term first came out yeah, yeah. But nowadays, do you think it's still like that today?

Speaker 1: 2:11

Well, I don't know, because I don't particularly use it that much, no, no, yeah, I would use it in the sense that it's you should go and do things that you might be scared of doing. You would use it like that yes, so uh, let's, let's go and do it, because you only live once, so you might as well go and enjoy that holiday or enjoy that, that, that experience. Yeah, since you only live once, you need to leave, live your life to the fullest, kind of thing. Yeah, what about you? Well, I would definitely use it like that. I would think about it, I mean, I, I think that is kind of my philosophy, and if I do kind of find myself wasting a day because I might just be doing mindless stuff or tired, yeah it's not really wasting, though even if I'm just like chilling and you know lying on the sofa or something, I'm still enjoying myself. So I do kind of I don't. I mean, I said wasted, but what I mean?

Speaker 1: 3:19

You can't always live your life to the fullest, and sometimes does living your life to the fullest mean lying on the couch and relaxing? I think it does. I think so, but I think that there can be a lot of pressure on this. You only live once as well, because who cares if you only live once? That's how we were designed. Unless you do, unless you are religious and you believe in you know that you live in the afterlife. But if you don't, you only live once. But you're here to fulfill your purpose, aren't you? So I think there can be a lot of pressure on this. You only live one thing, because I think once sort of humans realize that they're mortal, yeah, and that that's when all the pressure comes on to you to to like really experience every single thing. You don't have to experience every single thing in the world. No, you know, you can be decisive and say no, I don't want to experience that. It can be harmful for me. I just don't feel like doing it. I don't feel like going through that risk. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And even if it's not, there's like like, where was it somewhere? Ah, it was. I think it was on a podcast I was listening to One of the.

Speaker 1: 4:31

This guy said that he did to prove to his partner that he loved, that. He loved him. He did something that for him, he would never, ever do. And it was skydiving and he was really scared of heights. And I was thinking, yeah, no, why'd you do that? You shouldn't have done that. It was like an ultimate.

Speaker 1: 4:50

It was supposed to be like a love thing. Oh, I'm doing this for you because I know that, to prove, to prove that, if you know that I'm so scared of doing this and I'm going to do it for you anyway that I'm so frightened and I thought, no, you shouldn't really be doing that, I think if I was his partner, I would say, no, don't do that, I love you. I don't want to put you through that, exactly Because I know you're frightened of heights. Let's do something that we're both, that we both like doing. Yeah, let's have an adventure together. Just do something that we're both. It might be something new. I'm not really into these things. No, I would never put my partner through that. No, it's horrific. I think it's.

Speaker 1: 5:33

There's something I don't, I don't know about the partner. Well, it didn't work out in their relationship, so it goes to show, but it's like. It's almost like emotional blackmail the the next, you know the next podcast we'll be discussing. Yeah, it's almost like that, because the. I think the partner should have said no, don't worry, you're like what you said.

Speaker 1: 5:53

Well, I think, unless it was like a total surprise and he just presented him with these, I think I'm gonna go and do this for you and and yeah, no, I would. I think I would say look, unless it's something you really desire to do and you've never, because you want to prove to yourself that you can do it, yeah, and you want to overcome this particular fear and really have this experience and we'll do it together, okay, but not if you're terrified of doing it and you're not ready to to deal, you don't want to overcome it at the moment, just just chill. I wouldn't know. I would always say no, no, darling, it's not something you want to do right now. Let's not, you don't, don't do it. I think that's what love is as well. In my, you know, my, in my mind, in my, I would never do that. No, no, not, I don't agree with that at all.

Speaker 1: 6:49

But anyway, yeah, this YOLO can bring upon this fear in all of us that we're not enjoying our life to the fullest, that we're not doing enough, once again, which is a shame. That's pressure, isn't it? How much do we have to really do in this life? I mean, before you would have one career and that would be it. Now we have to have three or four careers. We might have to go back and study three or four times, which is really beautiful and we love doing it. Yes, if you enjoy doing that. But why? You know why? All this pressure, all the time? That's why people are so anxious. There is a lot of anxiety even around the phrase YOLO. That's why we decided to talk about it.

Speaker 1: 7:29

Yes, because, because just the fact that exists already makes you feel, oh, I've got to go and do something. I've got to go and make the most of my life. I've got to go and visit that restaurant, and then with social media as well. You see what everyone else is doing, yeah, and you tend to, you know, think I should be doing that as well. Definitely it does tie in. I think the YOLO ties in a little bit with the FOMO, the fear of missing out. You can go and, you know, check that episode out. We've done an episode on that. It does tie in with that, doesn't it Closely intertwined? They're close brothers and sisters. They're definitely brothers and sisters because you do have it.

Speaker 1: 8:14

Yolo is, you know, you think, yes, you only live once, so go for it, do everything, try and do as much as you can, yeah, and then it reminds me of that film. It reminds me of that film, that horrible film. I was going to say that it was not a horrible film. It's, but it's. It's horrible because the world ends. Oh, that one would don't look up. Oh, yeah, and but what do people want to do in the end, when you only live once? They want to be with their loved ones and cuddle up and and have a lovely meal together. That's it. That's it. So if you think about that, in the end that's what most people want, and you also see people that are really famous.

Speaker 1: 8:51

I remember I was watching Ed Sheeran the other few days ago and he was saying in his documentary that what he really loves most is just being at home with his family and friends sitting around in his little pub that he's created. That's exactly right. So we're always trying to find the most wonderful experiences. And in the end, what are the most wonderful experiences? The most simple, the simple ones are one being close to your family, to your friends, or even just enjoying time by yourself. Exactly, you know, just enjoying. That's underestimated, that's so underestimated. Just walking around by yourself, enjoying your own company. You like that, don't you? I'm laughing because you're always trying to get time alone.

Speaker 1: 9:47

I do like it, I do really enjoy time alone as well, not too much, but like, yeah, it's really lovely as well just to have time alone, just with your own thoughts, if they're pleasant, obviously, but even if they're not, you can just allow them to go away and you'll you'll find a serenity. You'll just allow them to soothe, you know, to soothe and quieten down. If you have anxious thoughts or thoughts that aren't that pleasant, and then maybe think of a time that you did have Good thoughts and a pleasant experience, yeah, you can always go back to that. If you haven't, unfortunately, had a time like that, you can imagine what a time like that would be In the upcoming future, in the days and weeks to come, what you would like to have happen to you. You can imagine the scenario something relaxing, yeah, yeah, definitely. I do think that's why I like to spend time, because I do know I have learned how to use my mind to my own advantage, because the mind is a very powerful tool and we really can get the most from it once we understand how to utilise it really. Yeah, we use it to our own advantage, our own minds. I do like to Going back to the YOLO thing.

Speaker 1: 11:04

I do like to think of, like not turning things down that I would normally feel a little bit lazy about doing. Oh, definitely. So if I'm like this weekend coming, we've both had invites and normally I would think, nah, it's too hard, yeah, it's a bit of an effort, it's a bit of a, yeah, new people. I've also got kind of like I've only met them once. Yeah, it's kind of like a new people were invited and but then I think yes, and then afterwards, once you commit to it, then I'm actually really looking forward to it me too. So they're actually lovely people, exactly. I'm actually quite excited, actually. No, I mean, whereas it could be just a business meeting, I find it funny. Yeah, she's surprised. They're actually nice. Uh, good, yep, okay, they are very nice. They're very nice people. Well, most people are, aren't they?

Speaker 1: 12:00

If you give them a chance, if you actually bother to talk to them, yeah, real connections. When you make real connections, that's right, you get away from the superficial. That's what we like doing yeah, I love doing that and you can get a real connection with a person. It can turn into a long-lasting a lot of people if you actually bother to talk to them and they're so surprised by it as well, because a lot of people really just in their own heads and we all are, but sometimes more so than other times and if you do take a moment to actually get to know another person properly and ask them some nice questions and I'm thinking she's giving me dodgy looks because I'm thinking of that story that we wrote in stress free, in three minutes, I think, or enchanted tales for change, I'm not sure which one it's in, but I can put that in the description as well.

Speaker 1: 12:54

About the do not disturb signs, remember, yeah, and it's like in the hotel when you say please, you know, do not disturb. I don't think they say that anymore in the hotels. They have a nicer thing now. Yeah, don't service my room. Yeah, but before it used to be do not disturb. And I think a lot of us, even when we make the effort to go out, we've still got that do not disturb, sign on, haven't we?

Speaker 1: 13:16

Where we can't be bothered to talk to people and we're just in our own heads. It's very obvious when you can't really be, and that's when I think, you don't really connect with people, and that's when you don't have fun, and for me, that's not living my life to the fullest. So I think that's when you would have the yeah, the yola would come in, where you only live once and make the most of talking to someone and trying to enrich your own life. And there's you. There's always something to learn from the person you're talking to. If you want to learn, if you're open to learn, yes, that's when you think, ok, you only live once.

Speaker 1: 13:53

I'm spending moments and perhaps even hours of my life with these people, this person. So let me have a real connection. Yes, as today will never, ever come back again in my life, or even these two hours will never, ever be replaced. Well then, let me, you know, let me enjoy it. Yes, that is, but it's true, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, that is for me the meaning of yolo, without too much pressure, because I don't. It's not exactly. I want to live my life every day yolo, yolo. Yeah, it's, it's, it's too, it's exhausting. We can't live like it's nice just to switch off and recharge. Oh, yes, to put our brains on hold for a bit. Absolutely, you also need that moment. Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 14:47

That's what dreams about are, aren't they Dreaming? Dreaming is about, like, just going off to sleep and not having to think about things. Yeah, absolutely, I mean, that's when our brains process all the information, isn't it? Yeah, I guess so. Yeah, well, absolutely, yeah, that's when you process your information and when you elaborate the thoughts. And what's happened to you during the day. Yeah, I had some weird dreams last night. Really, I can't remember them, but I know they were weird. I was just thinking why am I dreaming this? Obviously processing something, processing, you were processing something. Yeah, it's funny that we have like this. We have this.

Speaker 1: 15:37

You only live once, but really I think you kind of live twice because you're in, when you're in your sleep mode, you're having all these dreams, aren't you? Yeah, like an alter reality. So having your little avatar doing something in your dreams, yeah, when you're not actually really moving and you're not aware of it. You're not aware of it, but you kind of like that's actually quite a nice way of thinking about it, because you get like double the time, don't you actually talking about? You have it because you have such weird dream.

Speaker 1: 16:09

I mean, I was having all these dreams going to places. I can't even remember what they were, but I remember them. They were being pretty odd, odd and strange, feeling as if it was like in another world, like as I, if, as if I was in another world but this world. But they weren't. Were they okay? Yeah, they weren't unsettling or anything, they were just strange. Yeah, when I, when I woke up, I thought, oh, that's strange.

Speaker 1: 16:33

Now I remember I think I was in England somewhere travelling. No, because that's where we recently travelled. No, but it was around in the countryside. It wasn't where we went Little country lanes and going to little coffee shops. How pretty, it was quite pretty. Yeah, it was quite nice, that little coffee shops and how pretty. It was quite pretty, yeah, it was quite lovely.

Speaker 1: 16:55

Especially now I was thinking what am I doing here in italy? What am I doing in here? I go into a little antique shop. Now I remember cute, yeah, it was cute, it was cute. I was thinking it's cute. You know, I'm thinking this is, this is me. When I woke up I go that was me in the dream. It's weird. Yeah, that's so odd, it's so unusual that we can do this. Yes, it really is unusual. So I was saying our mind is such a tool. I know it's incredible, it is, it really is Amazing.

Speaker 1: 17:27

Anyway, we'd like to hear what you're thinking about. You only live once? Would you like to live like a cat nine times? If only that was true. Do you believe in reincarnation? If you do, you're lucky, you're one of the lucky ones. I mean, well, not lucky, obviously religious. So you're, it's your. That's cool because, yeah, because you have, you know, you, it takes a pressure off it. Where you have to be nice and good in this life. Well, that's already a given, isn't it? We all want to do that. Yeah, nice people, exactly. Yeah, that is a lovely thought actually. Yeah, you think, oh, I'll be reincarnated. But, yeah, cool, that's given us food for thought. Food for thought, yeah, definitely. Well, we're going to go and have a cup of coffee. So let us know what you think about this episode.

Speaker 1: 18:24

Yeah, and about YOLO. How does it make you feel when you think about that phrase? Do you use the phrase? Do you use the phrase? Do you use it? Or do you often think to yourself oh well, you only live once. I'm going to go ahead and do that, you know, plan that trip and think that in those cases it's good. It's good if you can afford it. If you can afford it, definitely. Yeah, not just splashing out on your credit cards and then coming home and think, yikes, what have I done? No, absolutely. And feeling terribly anxious about it. No, oh gosh. No, no, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 18:58

Let's use yolo to our own advantage. So let's think wisely. Use it wisely when, whenever you find yourself thinking, okay, you only live once, just take a deep breath and think that you can live a lot longer if you're more in the present moment and you actually experience the world, and your world will become so much more filled with depth and you'll find your sensory experiences will be heightened and it really is like living double, triple, so much more than you normally would, if you can experience the present moment more well. Yes, absolutely, it's just like living so much longer. So that's all you really have to do if you want to think yolo, you know you live in the present moment. Yes, it's just that sometimes, live in the now.

Speaker 1: 19:59

Yeah, sometimes our clients think that's really difficult, but it well, it is difficult if you don't know how to do it. If you don't know, you've got a racing mind. Yes, so that's when you have to put a stop on it. Definitely, a little bit of meditation or hypnosis, absolutely, and come back. Yeah, come back and listen next week. Thank you for listening. Let us know what you think and please do leave a review on Apple Podcasts, because that one apparently makes the biggest difference of all. But on, any podcast app is absolutely amazing. And on spotify you can comment and we will answer you. Also, on our youtube channel, you'll be able to see the recording of this video a day later, usually, yep, smiles from the english sisters. Lots of love, bye.