The Power Of Saying Yes In Your Life
/The Power Of Saying Yes In Wholeness
YES is powerful.
But, too often we think NO is more powerful.
No to others. No to ourselves.
That's an illusion.
YES is what gives us the power to support ourselves, to affirm ourselves.
YES has movement in it. NO is full stop.
The challenge, and yet elegant part of the process, is that when you must say "no" – how do you do so, and still say it as an affirming "yes" to Wholeness?
Yes Means Yes?
Elna Baker explored this notion in one of her personal life-stories entitled Yes Means Yes? and presented it on stage at The Player's Club, filmed with The Moth, in New York City.
I heard her entire monologue on my car radio while listening to NPR, cruising down darkened roads after seeing the super full moon on San Francisco Bay. It somehow seemed fitting to have this story accompany me on my ride home. (Caveat: there is a "spicy word" spoken, but only at one point in the story.)
Elna Baker discovered that sometimes when she says "no" – she is, in fact, saying "yes" to herself. She is affirming her life choices.
Now Wait Just A New York Minute
You might be saying to yourself, but wait, there are a lot of things to which we need to say "no."
True.
Whenever you say "no" – you could phrase it in a way that supports you. It can be as simple as: I'm not going out tonight (no), because I am going to stay in and rest and care for myself (yes). Obviously, this is an internal dialogue. You don't have to explain this out loud to others.
Furthermore, it doesn't have to do with being a "yes-person" which carries a negative connotation.
Merriam-Webster defines a "yes-person" as:
“a person ... who agrees with everything that someone says: a person who supports the opinions or ideas of someone else in order to earn that person’s approval. ”
The YES affirmation we are referring to is something that contributes to our well-being. It's based on what is important inside of us, not on someone else's approval.
Saying Yes In Many Languages
If your maternal language is not English, just substitute the word in the language that has the most emotional meaning for you.
Or, explore YES in the various languages you speak. Maybe you'll find that one has more meaning for you.
Just say YES to your life.
