Are you introverted?  Afraid to get out there, volunteer, talk to people or take a chance?

Yes is a very powerful word. It leads to possibilities, open doors, and a life filled with more than what we have.  Yes can make your life a little scary maybe, but it can be more than worth it when we take that step.

The Year of Yes by Shandra Rimes is one of the best books I’ve probably read and I obviously highly recommend it. The chapter headings in her book say it all – Yes to Doing, Yes to Play, Yes to My Body, Yes to Cause, Yes to People, Yes to Help, Yes to Compliments, Yes to More Year of Yes, Yes to Difficult Conversations, Yes to Dancing it Out, Yes to Who I Am, and Yes to Beautiful.

Of course she’s a great storywriter and penned numerous hit TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, but this is a book about her life and how she overcame her fears without dying, passing out or throwing up…much.  This book changed my life because I wasn’t someone who volunteered for anything that the very thought of it made me uncomfortable, even if it could lead to some pretty cool stuff.  I didn’t take many chances that weren’t calculated first.

Think about the chapters in her book.  When you look in the mirror do you tear yourself down – you’re too fat, too old, too out of shape, your eyes are too droopy, your nose is too long, etc., etc.  What if you said yes to your body?  What if when you looked in the mirror you found something you liked about yourself.  You said, wow, I look great! Or, my hair looks fantastic today, instead of focusing on the negative and the “no”.

What about working so hard, you feel guilty whenever you take the time to play with your kids or take a vacation. Do you always have your phone connected to your ear or are you texting during family times?  What if you said Yes to play?

And what about compliments?  Are you someone who ignores or poo poos compliments that say what a great idea you had or how intelligent or attractive you are?  Why do you do it?  Why are you uncomfortable? Do you feel not so intelligent, not attractive or not want to be the center of attention?  What if you said Yes to compliments and allowed yourself to feel like you deserve them, how much more fun would life be?

So YES is a very powerful word.  If you’ve said NO to everything for a long time, and can’t possibly think of saying yes to everything in your life at once, pick just one part of your life to say YES to, and see what happens!