When it comes to undertaking a new project; doing something we’ve never done before; or taking the opportunity to be in the spotlight, many of us back away  like a crawfish in Louisiana trying to refuse an invitation to a boil. And we have a litany of excuses for backing away too. “I don’t know how to do that” or “I need a little more experience” or “I don’t have enough talent.” So we turn it down. Why, when all we have to do is say yes?

SAY YES AND YOU’LL FIGURE IT OUT AFTERWARDS

The hilariously brilliant writer-comedian Tina Fey gave a spectacular interview once about the power of saying yes. She talks about her early days doing improv and how the “rules” that were instilled in her then forever changed her life for the better. One of the (many) things she said that resonated with me was this:

“A couple of times I’ve been called on to do things—jobs or whatever—where I’ve felt, maybe I’m not quite ready. Maybe it’s a little early for this to happen to me.“

Does that sound familiar to you? It does to me–I’ve said things exactly like this to myself before. Hey, I’m still tempted to say it even now. But how many fortuitous, divinely ordered opportunities have we unnecessarily talked ourselves out of by second-guessing our abilities, talents, skills, and even our worthiness?

A FORWARD ONLY STATE OF MIND

Well, I say it’s time to move into the season of “yes!” Tina makes the excellent point in the article that “saying yes allows you to move forward.” Think about that: Yes = forward; No = standstill. It’s time to move to a ‘forward only” state of mind and stop holding ourselves back from the incredible opportunities and adventures life wants to gift us with. We are already equipped with Every. Single. Thing we need.

{image from lifehack.org}

Okay, yes, it’s true that you can’t–and shouldn’t–say “yes” to absolutely everything, but you know what the secret is to deciding? Say no to those things that won’t add value to your life. Say yes to the things that will, especially the ones that scare you.

Saying more “yeses” takes practice, no? So let’s adopt one of Tina’s other mantras to recite to ourselves when the urge to say no arises:

Yes equals fun, you say? Then I’ll see you on the “other side.”