My sister in law recently gave me a novel entitled, A Man Called Ove, which introduces us to a curmudgeonly senior who approaches life with a good dose of negativity. He yells at neighbours, hurls blame toward everything and everyone and keeps others at more than an arms length. He essentially says “No” to life. Undoubtedly,  as the story unfolds we will see Ove transform by saying yes and by doing so, he will directly affect what comes back to him. This got me thinking about what I have recently said “yes!” to…

Yes in committing to yoga.

Yes to staying in the calm when the world around me swirls with uncertainty

Yes to breathing deeply the fragrant jasmine of Hawaii

Yes to paddling an outrigger canoe and learning how to synchronize

Yes to staying connected to old friends

Yes to celebrating evening light

Yes to listening more, talking less

Yes to learning – my lifelong pursuit

Yes to learning more about photography and experimenting

Yes to being thankful, especially of the sun when it decides to shine…

Many times, saying “yes” pushes us forward into the grey area of the unknown. It reminds me of the zone of proximal development, where the most effective learning happens when it is slightly beyond our comfort level but not so far away that it terrifies us. Learning doesn’t happen when it takes place in fear.

So saying yes when you’re unsure of the outcome or unsure how things will turn out is necessary for us to grow in understanding ourselves or our environments. Learning to say no is also important but I want to say yes today. I am hopeful that in doing so, I will let the sunshine in.

What will you say “yes to today?