Just Say Yes

I’ve discovered a new “magic word.” We all know the traditional “please” from our childhood and perhaps its corollary of polite behavior, “thank you,” but I’ve discovered something far more powerful. The word is “yes.” Just saying it opens a world of possibilities, creates good feelings, builds alliances, and strengthens relationships. It is the essence of affirmation. It expands who you are and connects you with others. Say yes, and the universe can be yours.

We are used to setting boundaries, building the walls to keep the unpleasant out, or lines we will never cross. No has its purpose. It protects us and sets limits, keeps us safe in its negating arms. But it is also best friends with fear. The comforting walls it builds can sometimes turn to prisons, confining instead of protecting. It is easy to say no and be safe. Yes takes a risk.

Yes is fearless, and perhaps at times foolhardy, but it is just the word I need as a hedonist, to discover not only the world, but things about myself. When I say yes, I try something new. I might not like it much, in which case in the future I can use a more enlighten no and instead of a safe no said out of fear. But I might also discover a new favorite, a new pleasure, or desire.

Yes satisfies my curiosity while broadening my appetite. Yes breeds abundance, creates more resources to tap, and variety to choose from. Yes is the connective tissue between the people we know. By saying yes to each other we can fulfill each other’s dreams. We can create possibilities and circumstances we could never undertake on our own. Yes is my locomotive, my compass, my muse.

Yes has become my mantra. So come, sit under the banyan tree and say yes with me. Let’s see what worlds we discover.