I find myself saying “yes” a lot. Not that I was a “no” person before, but my late husband was. He was working on that issue in the last years of his life, and so we got to do so many amazing things because he stopped the habit of almost always saying “no.”
I’m so glad he had those years.
I’m trying to move forward with that “yes” attitude. I mean, why not? As long as it’s not illegal, immoral or fattening, I think saying “yes” leads to new experiences, new connections and if not great memories, some terrific “can you believe what happened?” stories. And, okay, fattening is fine every now and then, but man, as I get older it gets harder and harder to drop that Christmas cookie (or Easter candy, or July Fourth brat) pooch. Ugh!
I think as I move forward with the “saying of the yesses” I have to evaluate why I would say “no.” You can’t just stumble along blindly on the yes trail without considering the alternative. So, before I say “yes” or “no” I think about each answer. Sometimes, it’s a split second decision, like that piece of dark chocolate Dove I just popped into my mouth (add “Dove* nibbles” to the above “pooch” list). At other times I have to think on it a bit. But, instead of shouting out “no!” to everything that comes along like my late husband used to do, I ask myself “why not?”
Why not say “yes?”
I try to say “yes” as often as I can, because tomorrow is never promised and I might miss out. FOMO is real, baby!
*My Dove wrapper quote was “When life isn’t going right, go left,” by Halea S., South Dakota. Wise words. (Thanks to Thanks I’m Cured on Reddit for the image.)