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            Written by: Sutton Schuler

I am social, but very much so on my terms.  My independent nature can turn day in and day out, relationships into work. Although I love hosting a cocktail party, attending an intimate dinner, or just making small talk with the older couple sitting at the bar, I noticed I was declining invitations left and right.

And lets face it; there are those very chilly late December nights that are not conducive to going out, especially after a long week of work.  The last thing a lady wants to do is rush home to change, powder her nose, and re-heat a curl in her hair.  And this was just the case last December when I found myself on the phone with my mother, complaining about having a dinner invitation and lacking the energy.  She simply said, “Oh Sutton, just say yes and have fun!”

And with that, I bit the inside of my cheek, mixed a stiff drink, and committed to the required stages of primping. I figured a fun hairdo, along with the gin, would be a sure fire way to get me excited. Well it failed, and I was late to dinner.

But within five minutes of walking in the door, I was into another drink and in deep conversation with new and old friends. In between stories I sat back in my chair to observe the room. And at that moment I had to smile at myself for being so happy when just an hour earlier, I was dead set on a date with my pajamas and a movie.

It was one of those moments when I realized that at this point in my life, I will practically never say “yes” to something I would regret (except for that extra martini).  Whether it is dinner with friends, a long run in the park, or a trip to Brooklyn, I decided to just say “yes” to everything.

Once I made the conscious decision to do so, I realized just how often I was saying “no”.  My inner loner personality never wanted to commit to anything, because heaven forbid I would rather be doing something else, even if it was nothing at all. But at the end of the day, it is

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Written by: Sutton Schuler