This article is the first of a two-part series.
HELLO. BONJOUR. SALAM.
Welcome! Aside from being my first, this post is special to me, as it fits the theme of 20s (being released on my twentieth birthday, December 31).
For many, their twentieth birthday isn’t really that big of a deal; I'm that exception. This date is an important milestone of my journey through adulthood, and marking the end, as well as the beginning of a powerful decade.
For those who don’t know me that well, I preach that the twenties will be the best years of my life; and I aim to live up to that expectation. To do so, it starts with this website, and it starts with this post.
I hope you enjoy reading this and challenge some of the bolderiences in your life; they have shaped me into the man I am today.
BOLDERIENCES, WHAT ARE THOSE?
I’m glad you asked. It’s a term I coined up (so don’t go using it in your papers), tying together “Bold” and “Experiences.”
To me, bold experiences are those life-defining or thought-altering lifestyle events, that truly give you a second thought. At its best, "bolderiences" shape who you are and what you do.
OneProsper York U's Holiday Social at an Escape Room, in Toronto. Quite a bold experience, as we finished with ten minutes to spare!
The list you see here are, in my eyes, some of my “Bold-eriences” that have shaped my lifestyle and choices.
P.S. As this is the first of a two-part series I have done some categorization. In this first ten, I have talked about some Personal and Lifestyle Bold-eriences. It will also make it easier to follow up, in case you wanted to add some of these to your bucket list(s).
PERSONAL BOLDERIENCES
1. Explore communities beyond yourself.
Just because you are in finance, doesn’t mean you ONLY have to interact with investment bankers. Just because you are in marketing, doesn’t mean that Proctor & Gamble and Consumer Packaged Goods companies, are ends all, means all. Just because you are in software engineering doesn’t mean you ONLY have to pursue developer roles or interact with developers. Point here, is that explore what YOU want to do, and not what society or a piece of paper dictates you to do.
I learned all of this all too well, as I initially entered business school with the thought of being a leader in the professional services and financial services area.
Pictured having an enjoyable outing with some of the World's Finest tech minds, my IBM Colleagues.
Recently, I started indulging myself in the tech community a lot more, and it’s another world. The people think differently and give you some amazing new perspectives. Their work, brilliance and genius speaks enormously. So moral here, take that risk, meet that person not like you, explore that event/profession that has nothing to do with you. I invite you to get lost in this world full of opportunities.
2. Have a friend where you do not interact as often as you like, but know you’re close.
For some, this may sound extremely counter intuitive but it all comes with the diverse nature of your relationships. Chances are you are going to have important people in your life that you cannot give the most physical time to, but you know that this person will be by your side.
I am fortunate enough to have some of these friends, and I can assure you that when you do have your moments together, you love each other’s company. Sometimes, less is more.
3. Watch (and rewatch) the US-version of The Office.
I’ll let you do a Wikipedia search about what this show is about, but this show is truly magical. Outside of just pure comedy and heart, this show teaches lessons (or at least taught me lessons). It teaches lessons about friends, relationships, business, love, work and many more.
Taken from: http://www.hercampus.com/sites/default/files/2016/11/27/636069112212588482-2116317267_636018199727421308-1204041763_TzghQg3.jpg
The pure genius of this show has already put me on Season 5 of my first re-watch campaign. The lives of these simple people, really exhibit some of our society’s fruits and challenges. This short little blurb really does not do justice about how much The Office has impacted me. Although, it did score a spot on this list, so I really encourage giving it a watch.
4. Get into a heated debate over completely fictitious stakes.
This year (2016) has put me in a constant battle defending DC Comics two movies, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. Sadly, both movies did very poorly in critic reception, but what was interesting was how invested I was in these fictitious film universes.
Upon watching Suicide Squad with my friends, I ignored the critics reviews and passionately argued with them that it was indeed a great film. Needless to say, the arguments did go on for hours, with no clear winner. Although, I did go watch the film for a second time, and I do acknowledge now that the movie was not the greatest.
The lesson here is that find something that does not directly correlate to something in your life, and have a no-stake debate. You’d be surprised about the arguments and passion you would find yourself in!
LIFESTYLE BOLDERIENCES
5. Go Camping.
In this modern day and age, it’s hard to say what real camping really is. This summer I went up to Algonquin Park to meet some of the fiercest mosquitoes and serene canoeing experiences, I have ever had. It really puts into perspective how urbanized our worlds have become (especially with the lack of cellular service up there).
It doesn't get better than hearing serene sounds from the woods, and watching the sun rise.
As clichéd as this sounds, after you endure some of the physical workouts and activities during the day, unwind near a lake and watch the stars. As a bonus, wake up early in the morning and watch the sunrise near the water, it truly is magical.
6. Lose Your Phone (and then find it again).
Building upon the last point about how technologically-dependent we’ve become, this Bold-erience will really get your blood pumping. The feeling of losing your phone is shamefully, one of the scariest experiences I have ever had.
The thought of losing photos, sensitive information, and contacts is not an easy one. And yes, with the world of cloud and backup the recovery options are not too dire, BUT the thought of replacing your expensive smart phone and the data, as well as the whole complex process, is simply too redundant to handle.
Luckily for me, when I did lose my phone one day, I was able to have it returned the very next day; but believe me those hours in between, were some of the most stressful ever.
7. Make small tweaks to your wardrobe.
Regardless if you are a fashionista or not, adding small changes/improvements to your closet can really up your excitement in life and confidence. Your clothes are what people see when you encounter them, so it’s not a bad idea to look at this a little bit more.
For me, some of the recent tweaks I have made were very subtle but made me feel a lot more unique. I changed up my plain dress socks into designer and patterned ones. I went from a nylon jacket to a leather jacket, during the fall. I also started wearing plaid shirts, over polo shirts.
Keep in mind, sometimes these are not necessarily improvements but they’re slight adjustments to keep things interesting (at least for me anyways).
8. Get into a competitive unconventional hobby.
Recently, I have gained immense appreciation for unconventional skills and hobbies. In the ever-growing world, probability says we possess many similar interests and hobbies. There’s only so much you can Netflix, right?
Specifically, I have explored the notion of E-Sports and specifically in the world of Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs). Seeing the immense skills of some of the top in the world, have really excited me. The reaction times, strategy and judgement calls are some things you cannot really get from conventional things in this world.
Who knew Shuffleboard would be a break-time at-work hobby? Definitely not me.
So I cordially invite you to try something you’ve never really seen yourself in, and try it out at a complex level. Who knows, you’d probably surprise yourself.
9. Attempt vlogging and watch them.
The art of video logging (or vlogging) has given success to many stars globally, and has been a favorite hobby of many. Naturally, I gave it a try vlogging my summer internship at IBM with my teammates. Side note, it’s really hard to consistently vlog daily (because if you’re me, you’d forget).
The ability to talk to and give a personality to a camera is a neat skill to have, and re-watching can also help you pick up flaws in your speech dynamics (such as posture, stuttering, eye-lock etc.) Alternatively, that’s one of the reasons Snapchat was created, so feel free to try logging 10 seconds at a time, your thoughts about the world.
10. Tell your parents that you love them.
Yes, so I’m going to end this first post with something deep and sentimental, but it’s something that has become increasingly important in my life, and hopefully yours. There are many people around the world that have lost their parents and would give anything to take a couple seconds and say those words.
This is extremely bold, because it does not come up often or apparent to say this phrase, but it’s a valuable one. Your parents have done so much to make you the person you are today. Chances are they’ve abandoned their hopes and dreams so that you can pursue yours.
I challenge you to be bold and call them; say these words and express your deep gratitude. Believe me it adds power to my life, and soon yours.
Naturally fitting as the flag goes up when you complete a level of Mario, for now my flag is up. Stay tuned for Part-Two!
And here we are! Thank you so much for reading through my first attempt at publishing some of my personal thoughts, in terms of content. Keep in mind this is the first part of a two-part series, which I hope you do enjoy.
To read part-two follow this link: https://www.tahsim.com/personal/2017/1/28/bolderiences-part2.
Until then, I want to wish you and your families & loved ones, a very Happy New Year!