I’ve always told people that if I had to sum up my life philosophy, it would be these powerful but simple words: “Say yes to life!”
For me, the best way to approach my everyday life has been to stay as open as possible to any new opportunities that might be presented my way. It’s so easy to turn things down if they don’t seem ideal or if they’re not exactly within your normal range of comfort. (I get it because this used to be me, too!) Even though it’s always more challenging to say “yes” to whatever might cross your path—new gigs, new people, new experiences or almost anything else—you never know where any of them might lead you if you follow your positive instincts.
As the entrepreneur and motivational speaker Grant Cardone so clearly puts it: “I am saying yes to life. Anything that expands life, opportunity, experiences. Doing things you've never done before [...] Say yes to anything that is survival, good for you and I promise you, you are going to be more motivated.”
In other words, things that are potentially harmful or life-threatening, cross those out. But pretty much everything else: give it a shot! What do you have to lose?
This has definitely proven to be true in my own life. When I’ve taken chances on things that initially seemed like they wouldn’t have much in the way of a long-term payoff, new windows of opportunity have presented themselves to me as a result. By taking that risky first step, whole new avenues have opened up, ones that I may never have even seen otherwise!
Here’s one example: I signed up for a photo shoot because I wanted to get accustomed to sitting in front of a still camera. Modeling is definitely not in my usual wheelhouse and the idea of doing it made me more than a little uneasy. Yet I wanted to force myself out of my usual comfort zone and went through the process of learning basic modeling poses with a professional photographer. What I thought would just be a one-time thing, though, ended up opening up a series of new opportunities. By deciding to push myself into this unfamiliar situation, I ended up sending a wave of positive energy out into the universe, which resulted in my agent landing me an audition for an actual gig involving still photo shoots, almost as though it was destined to be! And, oh yeah, I booked that job and it was awesome.
Another example: I was asked to work a small and quick job. I was definitely on the fence about agreeing to take it but this time I figured “why not, I have nothing to lose by doing this”. Shortly after agreeing to take on this short gig, and by ultimately saying yes to life, my agent offered me a more substantial and more promising audition that same day. It was almost as though by telling myself that I was open to receiving new opportunities, be it a little job or something else, it allowed this other bigger audition to be presented to me. I genuinely believe that saying yes often sets off a chain reaction in this way! You can never be totally sure what might come out of it!
Saying yes helps to stretch your idea of what’s possible.
Saying yes opens doors, while saying no almost always closes them.
Saying yes invariably leads to something new and maybe even something life-changing.
The next time you’re presenting with a new opportunity, try it out for yourself. Say yes!