The Most Fearful Thing Is To Say YES. SAY It Anyway.
There is a stark difference between saying YES or saying NO. Saying No is easy because it saves us from potential headaches in time to come. Saying Yes is rather different, and it can lead to a path we would have never traveled.
Say Yes. We love to think that we are a natural at this. We know when to say Yes when it counts, and when to say No when danger is in front.
Except that … Life doesn’t unfold in this manner.
We tend to say No more than we think and more than we should. It is a self-defence mechanism. Saying No puts a stop to a future obligation on this topic.
And then, that’s it. Of course, some fear no rejections and keep coming. However, the tone is set.
Challenging the No is an uphill battle.
Saying Yes is rather different. It takes a lot more for us to agree. To be in a direct agreement may come with a price tag.
Saying Yes puts our future on the negotiating table, and at risk. I think that is the reason we think a lot before committing.
Take, for instance, saying Yes to housework.
I believe that the intent is an innocuous one. We agree when Mum asks for a favor to vacuum the floor, thinking that is all to the request.
That frame of thinking allows us to estimate the time spent. Maybe an hour and we can be back at our desk. So, we say Yes when we don’t feel the pinch of an hour of emotional investment.
But.
Things rarely go this way. Am I right?
It might take longer than expected to commence that activity because we cannot find the right head fitting for the vacuum cleaner.
We might be expecting only to vacuum the floor space visible to us, while Mum standing behind us, wants every piece of furniture shifted for comprehensive vacuum.
Consequently, our assumptions are challenged and overturned. And our time commitment explodes against initial estimation.
Saying Yes can be risky to our schedules.
Yet, we have to learn to say Yes. Opportunities do not knock twice. When they come, say Yes first, to grab them.
Imagine having the best job offer you can ever get from a company, and that electronic letter is sitting in your email.
If we waste too much time thinking — It will be gone before we can respond. That’s life.
The reason is simple. When we think it is a good deal, there will be others like us. They will grab the steal.
We are built to identify and take the good stuff obvious to our eyes.
I often debate within myself to say Yes or No. It holds even in investments. When there is a good business asking for my collaborating, I take my time commitment into consideration.
Many variables need to be considered.
Now I know that’s not the way to think. Here’s why.
Of the businesses that I am involved in, those I get involved with given prior industry experience, produce muted or average performance.
As weird as it sounds, it is true for me.
Those where I learned to trust my gut, plus a positive affinity with the entrepreneur or team, turn out to be multibaggers.
My takeaway is this. Life is never linear. The unexpected can be rewarding.
It changes my line of thinking. I am more open to saying Yes these days because I learned from the school of hard knocks to expect all things unexpected.
And very often, the unexpected yields great results.
Say Yes.
All good things will follow.
Of course, I learned to say No to Mum. And vacuuming.
Say Yes. Let opportunities Take Us To New Places!
Aldric
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