We all Need to be Naive

On the beautiful art of not knowing what's coming

The biggest decisions and changes I've made, I've done while being naive. You might think that by now I would have changed, but no, I am still this naive girl who jumps into things with no sight of what's coming down there. But I am grateful for that naïveté. I think that if I hadn't thrown myself like that, with the mentality ‘How hard can it be?’, I would not have done half of the things I’ve done in my life. And it's not like I'm being a daredevil, saying I will climb the K2. It's just taking chances and opportunities even if they seem ‘small’ but feel challenging to you (and that’s all you should measure yourself against). For instance, if I had known that it would’ve taken me 3 years to land my first gig as an assistant makeup artist and that I'd be doing plenty of jobs except the one I was pursuing, maybe I would not have even started. Or if I had known about the roller coaster ride that was about to come when I decided to be an entrepreneur, maybe I would have taken a different path 🤷‍♀️.

But here's what I've learned from all these leaps: overanalyzing things is the perfect way to delay action or avoid it at all costs. That’s why it's nice to carry that naïveté and embrace the uncertainty without overthinking the thousand different scenarios. When you get that chance, it's better to throw yourself at it. In the end, it's a win-win situation: sometimes things do go to hell, and it hurts. But what I've learned is that the regret of not trying always weighs heavier than the bruises from trying and failing. At least with the bruises, you know you showed up.

The biggest takeaway is that you can trust yourself to take risks and survive whatever comes next. That confidence becomes your foundation for the next leap. Deep down, I know that I will survive. I’ll throw myself into the lake, and I might get tired, feel like drowning, and lose my breath. But one certainty is I will make it to the other side. I don’t know how long it will take, but I always manage to get to the other side in one piece.

For me, entering a new adventure with naivety and hope is a good mix. Of course you need to accept reality and course correct as you move along. But naïveté gives you the push to start, and hope—well, hope is the beautiful bastard that won't let you quit. I've learned you can pivot, adapt, and change, but never quit.