The Yes! of “YES”

I am borrowing the title of this missive from the song by Carrie Newcomer. Carrie Newcomer is a singer/songwriter from Bloomington Indiana who sings about finding the sacred in the ordinary. Her songs touch deeply on topics including justice, spirituality, kindness and possibilities. She has been an inspiration for my own journey of navigating the tricky waters of life.

In fact, she is inspiring this submission of “Risk-a-day” when she sings these words from another of her songs: The Things I’ve Gone and Done.

“I don’t intend to live my whole life
Just to find I was asleep”

I was raised to appreciate the joy of saying yes to possibilities. When given an opportunity recently, I faced all sorts of reasons why it wasn’t a good idea. There were many cards on the table and in my hand that led me to believe that it couldn’t / shouldn’t be done. When I mentioned it to a wise friend of mine she said why not? I told her I was afraid. Her response will sing in my ears for quite sometime. She said lovingly: “oh, don’t be an old woman!” Well, she is right. It is sometimes easier to pass on an opportunity. There are risks, sometimes it is out of your comfort zone, and it involves the unknown.

Listen to the siren call of opportunity that taking risks offers us. You may make new friends, and clients. You may learn a thing or two. You may be given chances and the opening of doors that you didn’t even know were there. But the best part is that saying yes will keep you young. There is a time and place for limitations and boundaries. Yes, yes, I get that. We have all been burned out by saying yes to everyone and everything that people ask of you. I am not talking about that. I am talking about getting in the car, opening the sunroof, cranking the tunes and blowing out the cobwebs of limitations. Maybe you have been putting off getting a massage. Is there a yoga class that looks especially exciting to try out? List the possibilities for trying a thing out and then DO IT!

Once I called my parents because I had an extra ticket for a cruise. When I asked mom if she wanted to go on an adventure my Dad said excitedly: ” Bets, when it comes to adventure, whatever it is, your Mom will always say YES!”

Yes, yes, it will keep you young. Yes, yes it will be good to stretch yourself. The gifts of saying yes to something that your heart wants to do despite what your head says are unlimited.

“It’s not the things I’ve gone and done I’ll regret or be ashamed.
But the things I did not say or do just because I was afraid.”

Thanks Carrie Newcomer for your inspiration. “Yes!”

Betsey Brogan is on her way to creating World Peace - one massage at a time. On-site Chair Massage and In-Home table massage. Bringing Stress Relief to You.
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