When we used to run face-to-face sessions, 
one regular exercise I got people to do was to say yes. It was a physical drama exercise that involved people doing really silly actions, others affirming those actions by saying YES and then recreating the action.
The purpose of getting people to physically shout out “yes” (arms raised and lots of enthusiasm) was to harness the power and energy of simply saying yes.
Probably some of the best things that have ever happened to you in life, happened because you said yes to something. Otherwise things just sort of stay the same. – Danny Wallace
This simple exercise opened up discussion for other things in life that we could say “yes” to rather than the instinctive “no”. Saying YES means making the most of every opportunity and encounter. It means taking chances to stretch your comfort zone, to overcome your insecurities, to beat fear, to get through (perceived) failure, criticism, rejection, and embarrassment with a positive spirit. It essentially means knowing what you need “more” of in your life to help you live a more optimal life. And often the things we need most we resist because they make us feel uncomfortable.
Saying YES, of course, isn’t easy. In fact, saying NO is often the easiest thing to do, however, maybe we should start saying YES more often when saying NO feels more convenient. Just maybe we should start living life more adventurously.
UPS pilot Jared Hill and his wife had a dream to resettle in Uganda and help families – but it seemed downright foolish. After all, Hill had a good job, house expenses and three children, including one with special needs who was just starting to flourish in his new school. For Hill, like so many people, “no” was the obvious and easy answer, while “yes” seemed silly and deeply irresponsible. But Hill and his wife couldn’t ignore the pull. He explains how they made the leap, and rev…
Most new opportunities come from saying “yes” – here are a few tips for how to bring more yeses into your life:
- Say YES to opportunities to attempt something new that you hadn’t tried before.
- Say YES to possibilities for new adventures, challenges, and experiences.
- Say YES to things that somewhat scare you or that you don’t quite understand.
- Say YES to things that break your monotonous rituals, habits, and routines.
- Say YES to things that help you learn something new about yourself, about others and about life.
- Say YES to building friendships and connections with strangers.
- Say YES to experiencing changes that feel uncomfortable and yet somewhat exciting at the same time.
- Say YES to unexpected invites that create interest and pull you out of your comfort zone.
Say YES to random encounters and coincidences that you don’t quite understand but would like to make the most of.
