We all have the extraordinary coded within us... waiting to be released.Jean Houston
What powerful and simple advice "Just say YES to everything!"
Years ago, when I first started my Consulting business, I was earning great money and doing fun and interesting work. But a good friend of mine was earning four times what I was earning from the same type of consulting work, and winning clients and opportunities I could only dream of. In the spirit of behavioral modeling, I asked him what his secret was, what was it that he was doing that generated his incredible success, and what I could do to emulate this.
His answer to me: "Just say YES to everything!"
Yes, it was as simple as that. The key to unlocking the extraordinary, was to say YES to every opportunity that came along, to say YES to every thing that was suggested or offered in any way. At first I thought it too simplistic. How could just saying 'Yes' create such amazing success? So I gave it a go, to see if it was true.
Amazing. When you start to say YES to everything, new doors and opportunities begin to open. It's like you're sending a positive message out to the universe. An unconscious message to clients, colleagues, family, friends, the world, that you are a positive and 'can do, will do' sort of person.
People respond. They start to offer things they previously never made available to you. You get invitations you've never got before. It's an incredible self-fulfilling prophecy effect. A snowball effect. Success builds on success. YES builds on yes!
The Yes Man
The powerful and life enhancing effects of saying YES to everything are superbly told in a wonderful and deliciously humorous book I've just finished reading called 'Yes Man: One Little Word Can Change Your Life...' by Danny Wallace.
Danny's book tells the true story of how 'one little word can change your life.... forever!'. It's the story of how, on the advice of a stranger, he decided to start saying YES to everything, and the amazing events that unfolded. His life changed over night. Amazing things started to happen and have continued to this day. [They even made a movie out of the book and the story of his adventures.]
It's a wonderful story that had me rolling on the floor with laughter at times, and deeply contemplating the philosophy of yes at others. Quite a roller-coaster of a book. Definitely worth a read! Something worth saying YES to :-)
Say YES to this
So there it is. A simple, powerful and life enhancing strategy. Start saying YES to the positive opportunities and life enhancing offers that life brings. Don't say no. If you hear yourself being negative or responding with a no to an invitation, turn around and say YES! Watch what happens in your life as you send out a clear and congruent message that you are YES! kind of person.
And let me know how you go and what adventures and experiences unfold as you bring out the extraordinary in your self and your life through the power of YES!
Remember: Just say YES to every life enhancing thing!
life enhancing thoughts,
Grant
ps As Danny found out, there's a caveat to this strategy, make sure you only say YES to those things that meet your values. Don't say yes to anything that transgresses your values, involves unacceptable risk, is illegal or might hurt you. Only say YES to those opportunities that enhance your life!
There might be something to this! Even though I'm a positive person, I often find myself looking for a reason to say No to various things that come my way. Interesting!
ReplyDeleteHi Jean,
ReplyDeleteYes, I think there definitely is a magic to this. I'm the same, a generally very positive person, but sometimes I have to use my knowledge of the power of Yes! to ensure I say YES! to everything, and when I do, it is amazing what unfolds in my life.
smiles, Grant
Hi Grant!
ReplyDeleteGood final point---only say YES! to everything life enhancing.
Kindest Regards,
Susan
To me YES is a mind set. You don't always need to say YES but make whatever you are saying sound like YES.
ReplyDeleteMy job involves taking a lot of requests and being asked a lot of questions. The hardest thing is to make a NO sound like a YES.
The key is to understand what drives the person you are communicating with, and understanding what results they expected from the communication. What they are asking for isn't always what they want. You may be able to get them their desired 'YES' result some other way.
-Ryan
Hey Ryan, excellent point! YES is definitely a mindset. And yes, it's not always about saying YES to the immediate request. It's important to work out the underlying values driving the request, and satisfy those. Really important point you are making here. Totally agree with it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. I truly appreciate it.
smiles, Grant
Hi Grant,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the movie "Yes Man", which I guess is based on a similar premise or even on the book you mentioned.
It is amazing how out of fear we often say no to the things we really want. We are afraid to leave our habits, challenge our familiarity with the status quo and thus end up doing the same things over and over.
By saying "yes" to every opportunity, we can change our attitude to life, gain completely new perspectives and rediscover the joy of curiosity that was natural to us as children.
Thank you for a fantastic post,
Jonas
Hi Jonas, thank you muchly for your great comments and feedback. I think you've said it well, "It is amazing how out of fear we often say no to the things we really want. We are afraid to leave our habits, challenge our familiarity with the status quo and thus end up doing the same things over and over."
ReplyDeleteYES! is an attitude to life that opens up possibilities and enhances your life. As you so aptly say "By saying 'yes' to every opportunity, we can change our attitude to life, gain completely new perspectives and rediscover the joy of curiosity that was natural to us as children."
Thanks again for the great comment!
cheers, Grant
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