The benefits of saying Yes !

In 2008, a movie called Yes Man came out. The whole plot centred around a man who decides to say yes to everything. Nine years later, the reason why I remember it is because as crazy as the concept seemed, it was also striking for me, a person so attached to the power of the "no". So when more recently I came across a video of a youtuber called autodisciple who decided to say "yes" to everything for 30 days it brought me back to my initial fascination. I was ridiculously inclined to saying no as soon as something may require too much effort or may appear scary and intimidating.

Firstly, it struck me as being remarkably brave because saying yes often entails leaving your comfort zone. On the one hand, the good side of this whole philosophy of life appeared to be the positive discoveries that came with saying yes to going places and meeting people he was initially reluctant to. On the other hand, the less attractive side was the possibility of anyone to abuse of their power and the management of time which became stressful because of added commitment.

Then, I understood how such a small word could change someone's life. The word "yes" is the enemy of excuses, laziness and fear, it pushes you to do more and to live life the way you always wanted to rather than allowing you to find ways of justifying why you're not living that life.

At the end of the 30 days, the youtuber concluded that he had had a busy month full of adventures, that he didn't regret anything but that he also appreciated the power of saying no. He therefore planned on going back to his old ways whilst keeping in mind that if possible, he should say yes.

His video was so well executed that I understood his message, that saying "yes" should be the norm. From then on, whenever my flatmates or my friends suggested we do something or go somewhere, instead of hesitating or saying no I chose to react positively. I looked for ways to make it work with my busy schedule and even if I was not convinced, I still pushed myself to get involved. The difference between this month and last month is already considerable. My schedule is the busiest it's ever been, I have plans for every day of the week, the same amount of work if not more and I love it. 

The one thing to keep in mind however, is that whenever I felt like it was all getting too much I did not feel bad about saying no. I understood that sometimes saying no to others meant saying yes to myself. It was not about letting others down but about being my own supporter. If anyone understands your needs it's you and ignoring this inner voice just to say yes is never a good idea. 

So what now? Well, the benefits of saying yes are countless. It does the one cliché thing in life we always hear about: it opens your horizons. By meeting new people, going to new places, discovering your environment, accepting that greatness does not often lie in your comfort zone you end up with more opportunities, more chances to do good and more reasons to smile.