Candid Club

What if the bravest thing you could do was stop trying to impress anyone, including yourself?

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What happens when you dismantle your life on purpose

P.S. You’re allowed to build a life that doesn’t make sense to anyone but you.

Since that solo camping adventure, it’s been a year of ‘bad’ decisions that turned into good stories.

A year of doing things without waiting to be ready.
A year of letting myself begin before the fear kicks in.

Even if that meant getting a heart-shaped tatt on a whim just to let myself feel without inhibitions. I was ready to freefall without worrying or caring if my heart would break.

Other reckless things I did (but don’t regret one bit):

• Told someone how I really felt
• Said yes before I was ready
• Devoured dessert before dinner for a whole week
• Allowed mystery to take me over
• Went on a wild motorbike ride with kindred spirits
• Let myself cry, be anxious, or awkward, and still felt rooted in place so deep inside – loving it all.
  
  

Growing up, we’re taught to aim for the “best life.” But I didn’t want to chase that. I just wanted a life that felt like mine. I just wanted to feel alive. And free.

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In defense of reckless living

(Doing it “badly” is how you get good at living)

If everything I’ve share so far is already making your skin crawl, hear me out.

Let’s reframe “reckless,” shall we?

It’s not about ruining your life to get attention, but choosing to live it without waiting for perfection, praise, or permission. This radical confidence emboldened me to show up imperfectly. It allowed me to feel without apologizing.

“That’s my biggest achievement in life.
I know who I am.
I love who I am.
I like what I do, and I like how I do it.
I like my mistakes, and I like the way I learn,
And I like the pace with which I learn my mistakes.
I don’t want to be anybody else but me.”

Zoe Saldana

Things to try when you’re ready to be unapologetically real

There’s no manual for living a life that’s fully, wildly yours. No rulebook that would push you out of your comfort zone against your will. But here are a few things to try when you’re feeling brave but don’t know where to start:

1. Let yourself want things. Let yourself try.
2. Ask “What would feel freeing today?” instead of “What’s the most efficient thing to do?”
3. Let yourself suck at something — on purpose. Then keep going.
4. Remember that rejection and failure are proof that you’re alive to it all.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped performing and started participating.
In my own life. In my own body. In little moments I used to wait for permission to enjoy.

You don’t have to be fearless to begin. Just willing. Willing to feel. To fall. To fumble forward. To want more for yourself and not apologize for it. To live — badly, beautifully, on your own damn terms.

So pray tell, what would your “year of reckless living” look like?