Do you say yes enough?

Now I'm not talking about saying "yes" to simple questions like "cream or no cream?" I am talking about more complex situations or opportunities. Things that can make your life richer or expose you to new thoughts and ideas.

Jim Carey's new movie, Yes Man, really got me thinking about this concept. In the film, Carey's character, Carl Allen, must say yes to everything for an entire year as part of a self-help program. So, how often in life are we confronted with situations where a "yes" or "no" can have a profound effect on our lives? Now, I know that decisions like this don't occur every day, but I think that it is safe to say that it's possible for them to pop up at least once a month.

The situations don't have to necessarily be as complex as joining a monastery. It can be something as simple as "Do I help my elderly neighbor shovel the snow off their driveway?" If you always say "no," how can you grow as a person? How can you make a difference? I know that change is something most people fear in their lives. Heck, I have no room to talk about being open to change. It is just part of human nature. There is an inherent fear of the unknown. But just as much as there is fear, there should also be curiosity. No one can predict the future. So, of course things could go bad with your answer, but on the flip side things could go just fine and maybe even make things better. As the cliche goes: no risk, no reward.

Nothing I am saying should be anything new or earth-shattering, but it is something that should be considered in your day-to-day life. Don't limit yourself. Don't be satisfied with your own little world. Don't be afraid to make a change. To steal a page from Pay It Forward, those small deeds like helping your neighbor shovel snow can have a ripple effect with your neighbor doing a good deed for someone else and so on. I know that it sounds cheesy, but every action has an equal reaction. If you don't believe me, check the physics (at least I think that was the subject I remember hearing about that in high school), either way there is science behind it.

Saying "yes" can open your mind to all sorts of new experiences. Any person who says they know everything there is to know is full of you know what up to their eyeballs. Every single day, you can learn something new. A new experience can be simply going to a restaurant in town that you haven't eaten at before. While trying a new eatery is fairly benign, taking up an offer to socialize from a person whose company you don't particularly enjoy offers the most reward. There is so much you can learn from another person's experiences and life, so why wouldn't you want to open yourself up to that opportunity? Sure the person could be boring or annoying, but if you can get past those character traits who knows what you might find.

So the next time you find yourself pondering "yes" or "no," think long and hard about exactly what you are saying "no" to. Opening the door to limitless possibilities only takes three little letters: y – e – s.

For questions and comments, please contact Tim Klobe, Brown County Community Wellness Program Coordinator, via email at tklobe@illinois.edu.