Rule No.4: Let the Sparks Fly

Is it mood lighting or is my kitchen on fire?

Yesterday was traumatizing. I woke up in unusual darkness (yes, even for my windowless room) drenched in sweat, phone dead, alarm missed. My condo had no power. The front desk lady yelled at me; I cried.

I got dressed in the dark (ugly fit, confirmed), drove to work still crying, and found… no parking! Ended up in a termite-infested coworking space with broken Wi-Fi, so I took meetings on my phone. By lunch I was starving, went to Publix, and bought a $11 salad - surprise! It was couscous. I’m allergic to gluten. Stayed late to cover a side gig I don’t even have time for. Got scolded, almost fired. Cried again.

A friend of a friend offered their empty house as refuge. I brought rice. Their microwave didn’t work. I went to bed hungry, tired, and overwhelmed - and just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, a friend called with more bad news. Queue the "Will I ever be good enough?" spiral. I cried myself to sleep. 

The melodramatics of the day got me thinking about how something as simple as electricity can make or break your mood. It can either light up your world, or be the spark that burns it all down. The kicker? You don't know which one it will be until you flip the switch. 

Electricity is the undercurrent of life. It's the nervous energy buzzing through your veins while thinking of what the future holds. It's the fireworks you feel around someone you like. It's the perpetual emptiness when the power cuts, and you're suddenly alone in the dark. It's good, bad, and ugly - but always there, charging the air with what is and what could be. 

Every spark is a gamble. Starting something new - a job, a situationship, a project, even a gym membership - is basically plugging in a retro lamp you found on Facebook marketplace. You hope that it'll light up the room, but it's just as likely to start a small electrical fire. The question: is it worth it? 

I want to say: Yes! Plug in all the lamps. If it blows, at least you learned something. But the truth is, the more serious things get, the more I hesitate to play with fire.

I know I talk a big game about "never saying no" and "doing everything to the fullest", but when the stakes are high, my confidence flickers. If the outcome could be either brilliant or catastrophic, I freeze. Decision paralysis. Just like that, the spark sputters out, both outcomes dying with it. 

It's true that not every outlet is worth plugging into. Part of growing up is learning which sparks to chase and which to let die. If the risks outweigh the benefits, sometimes the most mature option is to pull back. But if you never flip any switches, you'll never move forward. Without light, even if it's fire, you're guaranteed darkness. 

So, live your life, boldly and brightly. Make mistakes, get hurt, learn from them. But, don't be reckless. Stepping on a live wire is just dumb, no matter how you slice it. Part of the game is knowing which opportunities are worth chasing. 

And yes, I also need to start following my own advice. So here's the plan: we're all going to collectively flip one switch that scares the shit out of us this week. Keep your fire extinguisher on hand, but allow yourself to enjoy the brightness, or at least learn something from the blaze. 

I'd love to keep chatting, but I have a hot date with some cold rice. I'll catch you next time with Rule No.5. Topic: idk yet - the lightbulb will go off when it's ready. Xx

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