Most of us tend to avoid fear and discomfort. For me, fear has been a big part of my every day life. As an introvert, I have run from fear and discomfort, especially when it comes to putting myself out there. Then I came across the Yes Theory YouTube Channel, and it has completely changed the way I think about fear and discomfort. They made overcoming fear look… easy and fun. While I can’t say I have 100% overcome fear, Ammar, Thomas, and Matt have definitely changed my perspective on how I view myself and my fears.
Although their name is Yes Theory, their channel is not about saying “yes” to everything, but rather, about saying “yes” to facing their fears and living by their motto: “seek discomfort.” In a video commemorating their two year anniversary, they explained, “We decided to refuse to let our fears dictate our decisions and instead decided to use them to drive us forward.”
Yes Theory is probably the best channel I have ever come across on YouTube. They are completely inspiring, genuine, and kind human beings. I often find myself laughing at their candid reactions and interactions with other people. Even though I have never personally met them, I feel like I know them. It’s nice to know that there are people out there who hold the same values and ambitions that I have.
This channel has definitely enhanced my curiosity about the world. Since a lot of their videos revolve around traveling the world and having new experiences, watching them has ignited a feeling within me of wanderlust. In their travels, they not only go sightseeing to basic tourist attractions, but they also connect with locals and are able to learn about their experiences and step into their way of life for a couple of hours. By doing this, they are able to see much more of the places they visited and immerse themselves in the culture and environment they found themselves in. On their trips, they also try to host parties to bring spontaneous like-minded people together to enjoy a night of fun, music, and food to simply expand human connections. They have taught me that there is so much to see in the world. I just have to put myself out there and trust that it will guide me in the right direction. They have proved that you have the ability to do anything you put your mind to.
They have shown me the best in humanity as well. Every time they visit a new city, the boys partake in a challenge where one of them is abandoned for 24 hours with no money. They must rely completely on the kindness of total strangers to find food to eat, a place to sleep, and go on an epic adventure along the way. I know you may be thinking that this task is incredibly insane. Well it is. But somehow, they always make it out alive, having accomplished this feat in Paris, Madrid, Finland, and Thailand. Watching these videos always restores my faith in humanity. Even with all the hate and harm in the world, there is still good inside of people. It just takes a little bit of luck and kindness to find the right person who will give you a helping hand. You may even make a friend or learn something new.
They provide viewers and the strangers they interact with a new perspective on life: take a chance and live the life you want to live. Every video that they post has a moral or a lesson, whether it is to believe in yourself, to not let anything or anyone stop you, or even conquering your fears. Yes Theory encourages people to be better citizens and to spread love and be kind to one another.
The premise is to say yes to fear and discomfort, to say yes to challenges standing in the way, and to say yes to the unknown.
I leave you with two questions that were originally posted by Thomas: What makes you uncomfortable? What are you going to do about it?