Say ‘Yes!’ to Every Opportunity to Change Your Life And Come Alive
“The closed mind is a disease. You need to have an open mind; otherwise life will just pass you by”
― Danny Wallace, Yes Man
Many of us live in a rut, commonly known as the comfort zone.
Staying in the same job, taking the same route to work, meeting the same people, watching the same TV shows, having the same dreams and even having the same worries. Being in a rut feels comfortable on the outside but makes us feel stagnant and sad inside.
What do we do when we realize that life has become dull? We get busy, run from the feeling of boredom, eat our feelings, drink, smoke, watch some more TV and get caught up in the same cycle.
When a new opportunity knocks on our door – in the form of an invitation to a get together with colleagues, or perhaps a friend asking you to join them on a hiking trip – we discard it mindlessly.
The lesson here is that, life happens when we allow it to happen, when we say ‘yes’. Here are some lessons you must learn to change your life for the better.
When We Explore, We Come Alive
It is the human spirit of exploration that makes us feel alive. Experiencing new things, going to unknown places, meeting new people who bring fresh energy into your life – when we make space for the new, the old washes away naturally.
We become more vibrant, more alive, and more joyful. To change your life, you need to go to uncharted territories and shed the anxieties, fears, worries, and concerns that seem so important all the time.
This is because when we step into the unknown, our perspective changes. We are able to look at the bigger picture and know what really matters.
Rediscover Who You Are
We have a self-concept, an idea of who we are and what we can do. This idea helps us keep doing what we know, but after sometime it can become a cage. A cage that keeps you away from enthusiasm, exhilaration, wonder, and life’s most beautiful miracles.
There is proof that people go through miraculous life changes when they say ‘yes’ to opportunity. Nick Woodman, the founder of GoPro, decided to go on a surfing trip around the coasts of Australia when he was depressed because of his business failing miserably. Little did he know that this trip would lead him to invent GoPro, which would later become a billion dollar venture.
Get to Realize Failure Isn’t Bad
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.” – Steve Jobs
Failure is the beginning, not the end. When you actually start doing things you fear, you’ll realize fear makes the wolf look bigger than it actually is. Not facing your fears and never growing in life is, by default, a permanent failure.
We must let life happen through us by saying ‘yes’ to new opportunities. Life can only work through us if we allow it to.
If you stay in the same place, you will naturally become unhappy. You will complain, become negative, avoid new experiences because of fear, and keep living in this vicious circle. Let new things breathe life into you and fuel your personal growth.
Life is too short to stand still.
Take Action Now!
“I will say yes to every favor, request, suggestion and invitation. I will swear to say yes where once I would say no.” – Danny Wallace
Ask yourself now;
If you were to say yes to three new things that you wouldn’t usually do, what would they be?
It could be calling an old friend to catch up, travelling alone to an unknown city on the weekend, taking a martial arts class, or perhaps going to a business seminar.
Whatever it is, write three things that catch your fancy and decide to do them right now – in fact, schedule them in your calendar.
Say ‘yes’ – because one day you will want to but won’t be able to.
“But the happiest people are the ones who understand that good things occur when one allows them to.” ― Danny Wallace