Let's start saying YES. I'm not saying to say yes to EVERYTHING. Say yes to what will move you forward, toward your goals, toward a happier, healthier, more positive you.
Yes. Yes I will go to the gym today. Yes, I will eat that salad. Yes, I will be tough with my feisty seven year old. Yes, I will take that job. Yes, let’s get coffee. Yes, I will make sure my goal for today is accomplished.
Saying Yes can change everything.
Saying yes CHANGES everything. Saying yes changes your life. Think of all the small decisions you make on a daily basis that you say yes to. You say yes to bringing your lunch instead of eating out. That is money saved. You say yes to going to the gym twice a week. You are slowly making a change without burning yourself out. You say yes to a date – and then realize the guy is NOT your type, and avoid others like him in the future. Have you ever thought about “yes” this way?
Why do we avoid saying yes? Yes to new opportunities, yes to a new adventure, yes to switching up our routines? It is because we are scared. Fear is holding us back. You might disagree – you actually said ‘no’ to going to the gym because you don’t think you have the time. But, in reality, you are scared because the gym is an unfamiliar place, you don’t know what to expect, you don’t know what exercises to do, you think others are going to judge you. You are full of fear!
Let’s look at a few ways that saying yes will change your life:
Attracts Positivity
When we say yes to the experiences that will truly bring us joy, we are happier with our decisions. When we are happier with our decisions, it attracts others to us. Being a happy, healthy individual begins with saying yes to opportunities that we are truly interested in. Are you truly interested in bettering yourself? Say yes to the salad. I know, I know – eating a salad is scary! But think of it as one small change you are making to feel better about yourself. When you feel better about yourself, you radiate positivity and joy onto others. In turn this will attract more opportunities in your life to say yes to….. and the cycle continues.
I said yes to seeing a therapist. Did I think there was a huge stigma attached to being “in therapy?” Hell yes I did! But guess what? It was the best decision I could have made for myself at that time. I said yes and I am a better person because of it. I am able to filter through my feelings and have a better sense of who I am and what I want. I can process situations without stressing myself out, and I can have meaningful conversations with those I love.
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.
Steve Jobs
Opportunities Don’t Always Re-present Themselves
Your boss comes into the meeting and needs to have a presentation for the new owner done in the next 24 hours. You sit there and contemplate in your head for a while if you should do it. You want to, but you aren’t sure if you have the time and don’t want to stay late tonight (after all, Netflix is waiting). Your coworker says yes, you don’t say anything, and you’ve just lost out on a big opportunity. Your coworker ends up being invited to lunch with the new owner, forming a crucial relationship. You are stuck at your desk eating your lunch because you were too afraid to put yourself out there. Sound familiar? Maybe not this exact situation, but I bet you are thinking of a time you didn’t speak up. Next time, SAY YES.
Build New Relationships
Say yes to a new friendship. Even though we are adults, we completely act like children at times. We don’t want to talk to the new woman in barre class because “we have our group and there’s no room for others.” Oh, girl you are so wrong. This new woman, who handed you your weights and tried to strike up a conversation with you, is just the person you need in your life right now. Sure, you don’t know it yet. But she has an amazing wine collection and no one to share it with. She is able to watch your kiddo when he is sick and you have an important meeting. You’re too stuck in your ways and too closed off to new people and new ideas that you are scared to say yes to her invite for coffee. Get out of your head and open your heart.
Impact Others in a Positive Light
Say yes to helping others. Helping others will be the most life-altering experience you have. Sure, it isn’t always going to be something you think is a huge deal, but to that one person who asked for help, saying yes just saved them time, energy, and stress. There isn’t going to be a shining light that follows you around and lifts you up… but you will have a heightened sense of well-being as well as a sense of purpose and satisfaction. Also… when you say yes to helping someone, they will be more likely to help you when you need it!
Build Confidence
Saying yes will build your confidence. Whether you say yes to two days a week at the gym, saying yes to a new opportunity at work, or saying yes to that cup of coffee with a new woman, you will build your confidence and self-esteem. Do you ever say yes to something and then wonder, “where did that ‘yes’ come from?” It has happened to me. But then, I can’t back out of it because, well, I’m too chicken, and then it ends up being one of the best experiences I have had. I am more likely to remember this experience and say yes to something new next time. My confidence has been built is it likely to continue to increase.
Saying yes changes everything. It changes your mood, your routine, your future thoughts. Saying yes can be life-altering; it can be a force in your life. You just have to allow yourself to say it. You have to allow yourself to push past the fear and the comfort of always saying “no.” Listen to your inner voice, and if that inner voice is begging you to say yes, just do it. You won’t regret it.