Make it Count
I laugh at everything. I laugh when things aren't funny. I laugh at things that are completely absurd. For the most part, I find that the most amusing person to laugh at is myself. What I also find over the years is that it's extremely important to not take myself too seriously. Yes, there will be times when I'll be caught up with work, school, sorority, and etc. but I try to constantly remind myself that there are also far more important things that require my attention and effort---things such as nature, meaningful conversations, and friendships.
Three weeks ago, I went to an incredible networking mixer in Los Angeles with a couple of friends. With the intentions of learning more about tech and start-ups, I was extremely excited to see what kind of circles I would be able to form. I remembered walking behind the DJ table and mingling with the gal just to tell her how beautiful and talented I thought she was. I remembered talking to a Carnegie Mellon graduate who shared a strong appreciation for film production and directing. But the person that caught my attention right away was a guy who was perhaps the tallest person there. I remembered walking across the room to introduce myself only to learn that he was actually friends with the girl friend that I was with. Small world, eh? We shook hands, took a group photo, went back to our networking grind, and that was that.
One of the biggest perks that comes with working for a film studio is that I get invited to private advanced movie screenings. Having RSVP'ed for myself and a plus one, I contemplated for awhile as to who I should take. My golden rule for these kind of events is to invite a person who has treated me with the utmost kindness and care. It's that or a person who I know I would have a genuinely good time with. So the first person that came to my mind was a close girl friend of mine who is downright one of the most hardest working Trojans in the business. I thought it would be nice to surprise her, but of course, she was called in for work so that was a no go. Strangely enough, the second person that popped into my mind was the guy that I met three weeks ago. I knew that it was finals week at UCLA, so the thought of asking him didn't sound like a really good plan to begin with. Also, 'What if he says no?' That was the question I would normally ask myself. This time, I decided to approach it a little bit differently. 'This is worth a shot.' And so I initiated a conversation and being that I am quite a convincing person, he told me he was sold and that he would join me that evening.
We went to watch the movie, laughed at all the cheesy lines from the two leads, caught a restaurant right before it was about to close, and talked for another two and a half hours before he had to go back to his studies. I know I have a lot of amazing friends and I do appreciate being around them; however, there's also something so wonderful and refreshing that comes with getting to know someone for the first time. We quickly skipped the small talks and found similar interests, shifted conversation topics from shallow to much deeper subjects, and more importantly, we went from being strangers to friends. Overall, it was a great night and we both had an amazing time. Come to think of it, all of this wouldn't have happened if I didn't choose to do something I wouldn't normally do.
Thus, I want to challenge myself to be okay with being uncomfortable. To take the initiative and spice things up a little bit. After all, in the words of 'Divergent' star, Shailene Woodley: We've got a set amount of time in our lives so we might as well make it count.
