Saying "Yes!"

I don't remember where I first heard that when you say, "yes" to something you simultaneously say, "no" to something else. It's a choice we make over and over every day of our lives. Multiple times a day.

The movie, "Sliding Door" with Gwyneth Palthrow, depicts the main character going about her life making choices that we all make constantly, without thinking, and the audience gets to see the parallel reality she would have experienced had she made the opposite choice. Of course we don't get to glimpse the parallel universes of our lives nor would we want to. We make the choice that makes sense at the time and we move forward. We reap the rewards and we suffer the consequences. And hopefully we grow.

Supposedly on our death beds we will not regret the things we have done so much as the things we have not done. When we begin to lose those dear to us; parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, we start to think about our finite number of days on this old earth. So, why not say "yes!" more often? Don't we want to experience all the life we can pack in, in whatever time we have remaining?

Saying "Yes!" to new adventures, to the people we love, to learning something new, to doing something outside our comfort zone, even when it means looking awkward or foolish, being willing to do the thing poorly. Saying "Yes!" to the last minute invitation. Saying "Yes!" I'll dance! "Yes!", I'll take that trip! "Yes!", I'll visit my friend! "Yes!", I'll move to Wisconsin and live in the woods! "Yes!", I'll take that art class! "Yes!", I'll exercise! "Yes!" I'll eat more fruits and vegetables! "Yes!", I'll go cross country skiing! "Yes!", I'll put on snow shoes and give it a go! "Yes!", I'll go out in the cold and build a snowman! "Yes!", I'll start writing again and put it out there to share! 

Yes! Yes! Yes! 

The people I know that have the most fun are the ones who say, "Yes!" most often. They seek out new experiences, classes, workshops, concerts, plays. They cook for their friends. They host game nights. They go out in nature. They take in sunsets and sunrises. They watch meteor showers and eclipses, even when it means setting the alarm for some ungodly hour and going out in the cold. They volunteer. They use their hands. They garden. They smile a lot. They dance. They sing. They are in touch with their inner child. They use their imagination and put aside fear of failure or being criticized. They create! They make sure they are around other people. They love learning. They love sharing. They listen. They practice doing acts of kindness for friends and strangers.  

"Yes!" is an energy that moves us forward and invites more and more Yeses. "Yes!" engages us and we participate more fully in life. Once you say it, it becomes easier and easier to say, "Yes!".

Developing the Art of Saying "Yes!" is a worthy intention!