By Jamie Kirk
In the spirit of Cinco De Mayo, it’s all about being free. It’s about doing things that go against the grain. It’s about doing things that make people go “yikes, that is weird” or ” or “I can’t believe he/she did that”! Doing things that are outside of your comfort zone, is most definitely the way to go this year.
Years are passing by so fast, that to keep saying you are gonna do it next year or the year after that is just prolonging the inevitable – you ain’t gonna do it. Make sure you plan and execute some behaviors that would make you blush (when you muster up the nerve to look back).
Everyone is aware that Cinco De Mayo is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, in 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza. The folks were so surprised and shocked that they took to the streets and celebrated like it was 1999. Well, that analogy may be bad, since that was like 137 years later; but still, they got buck wild.
So, in order of doing things that shock people and doing things that require folks to scratch their heads, I think we should go all out and throw caution to the wind. Use this weekend to do crap you judge others for doing. Do things that you may even have to hide out for a few weeks afterward. Do things that are risky (not too risky) and require you to evaluate your “belief system,” if only for a few hours.
I don’t want to give recommendations, that is not my place. I don’t even want to give suggestions. I don’t even want to talk about boundaries and limitations. Life is way too short to continually live restricted because we are concerned about what others may think, what others may see or what others may say. Do it for YOU. Learn to be culturally free.
Lean into your cultural, whatever that may be. Do something that is culturally freeing. Do something that is culturally unacceptable and questionable. I would not recommend anything that is demeaning or embarrassing to you or your cultural, but definitely something that your friends and family would say “wow,” simply “wow.”
When we think about how overwhelmed and shocked we can be when something happens that we didn’t expect, we tend to shy away from what we said we would do IF that thing happened. If I get into the college of my choice, I’ll study really hard. If I get that job I want, I will save more than I spend. If I get that partner I want, I won’t cheat. I think just this one time of year, we go batshit crazy and do the opposite of normal stuff. Again, no examples will be given.
Think about the Mexican Army and how they had no idea that they would or could win the war. Take that thought process with you this weekend (JUST this weekend) and make yourself proud of winning the war. Whatever that war is or was. Could be a fight you won to be healthy. A fight you won to be promoted at work. A fight you won to remain faithful, despite the temptation of others. A fight to get along with your parents. Doesn’t matter, think about a battle you won, think about your heritage, think about your individuality, think about the sacrifices you made to get where you are and just get crazy for once.
As you decide what you are going to do inappropriately for the upcoming weekend and how you are going to honor, yet get crazy acknowledging your cultural heritage; remember we only get one shot at this life. Don’t do anything life-threatening (obviously) but take a minute and plan out how you can stop attempting to be perfect and throw out the rules and color outside the lines. Be like the citizens out in the streets celebrating their historic win, when all along they thought for sure they would have to hang their heads low.
Stop planning for defeat. Plan to celebrate like this holiday weekend encourages us to do.
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Jamie Kirk works for a software company and is a certified spinning instructor. He also enjoys yoga, swimming, bicycling and running. He aspires to start a blog about what we put in our bodies not only fuels our body but our mind and spirit as well. Follow Jamie on IG @tysonsdad.