The One Word That Can Change Your Life

One Word That Can Change Your Life

 

One Word That Can Change Your Life

There is one simple three-letter word that can literally change your life.

That word is YES.

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How? By saying yes more than you say no.

I used to not say yes very often. I was a stay home mom raising two kids, doing that parenting thing. Except for date nights with hubby, family vacations, and an occasional girl’s night or weekend out, I didn’t really say yes too much outside my box.

It was fine. I was content. But, I didn’t realize that life was essentially passing me by.

Don’t get me wrong, life was good. I had my share of fun. I enjoyed staying home to raise my kids. I had (have) great friends and my husband and I like to socialize. But, doing things I liked was easy; it didn’t get me out of my box .

About three years ago, I was feeling pretty ho-hum about life. I came to the realization that I was stagnant. I was stuck in complacency. Plus, I was a SAHM, whose kids were getting older, and I didn’t know what the heck to do with myself.

Something needed to change.

This is when I began to understand how this little three little word can be a game changer.


So, when a woman in her 40s is feeling bored and complacent and is trying to ward off a midlife crisis, what does she do? She concocts a plan to surf every Wednesday for a year, no matter what, and starts a blog about it. She calls it Wahine Wednesdays.

That’s what I did.

Saying yes to this surf challenge and starting the blog, changed my life. It changed me in a multitude of ways. One of the greatest things it did was open me up to the world of blogging and well, here I am. Writing a growing, thriving blog and starting a business.

And I’ve been saying yes ever since:

  • Saying yes to flamenco dance classes.
  • Saying yes to learning to shoot a shotgun.
  • Saying yes to surfing when the conditions look a little out of my reach.
  • Saying yes to going to a writer’s group before I even considered myself a writer.
  • Saying yes to making my self uncomfortable as I learn the many ins and outs of blogging.
  • Saying yes to a surf trip to Nicaragua.

My point is, if you want to live the most kick ass life possible, you NEED to say yes!

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It’s not always easy. Sometimes, I feel trepidation. I get butterflies. Sometimes, my first instinct is to say, “No. Nope. Uh-Uh. Too scary.” (Hello flamenco dance class.)

But, I make myself say yes. Because I KNOW, I will regret it more if I don’t.

So . . .

If someone invites you to a new restaurant . . . “Yes!”

If you have an opportunity to take part in a wellness challenge  . . . “Yes!”

If your favorite band is coming to town, but no one will go with you to see them . . . “Yes!”

If you want to start a new hobby . . . “Yes!”

If you want to learn to rock climb . . . “Yes!”


When my oldest child started college a year ago, the day I dropped him off, I was trying to come up with profound words of wisdom as I left him to navigate life on his own. Besides the usual, be safe and eat right, I told him to just say yes. Say yes to new experiences, opportunities, and relationships. If they are legal, and within your value system, say yes!

This is the same advice I would give anyone, not just a fresh-faced, 18-year-old with his whole future ahead of him.

I would tell anyone, life is short. Way too short to make ‘no’ your default answer.

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Saying no keeps us trapped in our comfort zone. It keeps us stuck in a safe and unimaginative life.

Outside of our comfort zone is where life is the sweetest. And the only way to get outside your comfort zone is to say yes.

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When I am busy, tired, or not feeling very social, sometimes saying yes just feels like too much trouble. Some new opportunities are too uncomfortable. They’re too scary or just seem like too much work.

This is exactly when I need to say yes.

Because here’s the thing . . . drumroll please . . . once you say yes to new experiences and push the limits of what you think you are capable of, you will want to keep saying yes. One yes will lead to another and another and the next thing you know, your life will be off the charts with awesomeness. (Yep, I just said awesomeness.)  🙂

And . . . there’s more . . . you don’t have to only say yes to the big things to make a difference. You can say yes to little things and build your way up to the big things.

If you need help, here are some ways to get you started:

  • Say yes to something new on the menu. I was on a kick where every time I had sushi, (which is about 3-4 times a month) I would try something new; sea urchin, octopus, etc. Food is an easy way to challenge what your familiar with. Try new recipes, restaurants, or entrees.
  • Say yes to a new work out. Try a new fitness craze like Barre Fitness or Crossfit. Take a step class instead of going on your usual run.
  • Say yes to new friendships. You don’t have to ditch your bff, but making new connections will broaden your horizons. Say yes to the invite to the new book club or when an acquaintance invites you to coffee.
  • Say yes to a new style, fad, or hair cut; go for it. Life is too short to stay in the same hair or clothing style rut.
  • Say yes to a new destination. Try to take at least one vacation a year somewhere new. Even if it’s just for a long weekend. I believe that travel is one of the most important experiences, and one of the best ways to say yes to life.
  • Say yes to adventure. Here are the big ones! The big choices you say yes to that will get you way out of your comfort zone. The things that are on your list that are kind of scary, that really challenge you; like parasailing or climbing Mt. Everest. Always have a few of these big goals on your list of things to do.

The magical thing about saying yes is, the more you do it, the easier it will become. Saying yes to something new at your favorite restaurant, learning to throw clay, and taking that pole dancing class are really getting you ready to say yes to the big adventures coming your way.

You need to be ready!

This life that we are lucky enough to be living is full of amazing opportunities and experiences.

Don’t let them pass you by!

Salty Kisses,

Karen

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Let me know in the comments what you’re saying yes to.

If you need encouragement in saying yes to life, sign up for my monthly newsletter.

Salty Kisses,

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18 responses to “The One Word That Can Change Your Life”

  1. I loved this post. That’s sounds painfully trite – but it brought a smile to my face. It’s funny, but I’m reading this post in the same week that Jon Acuff put out a thing about saying no. !!!

    • Well I can’t compete with John! haha I think there is a lot out there right now about saying no, because that is important on a different level. We need to say no to the things that don’t work and don’t fit in with how we are trying to live our lives. It is definitely a balance! Thank you for your comment Natasha!

  2. interesting thought. I had been reading so many articles on “learn to say no”. this is a refreshing change. you are right.sometimes you got to dive into new things. yet find the right balance to handle the “yes”es

    • I think it is a balance. You definitely need to say no to the things that don’t work. That don’t fit in with the life you are trying to lead. That’s a whole other post! I am glad you liked this perspective! Thanks for stopping by!

  3. Loved your post Karen and I have very similar fews. We only get one shot at life so we need to make the most of it. I know saying ‘no’ is not easy but sometimes we just have to say that one little word to feel free and achieve what we want from life.

  4. When I was younger, I slammed the lid down on a box that had me trapped. When I was a kid, I had a very low opinion of my abilities. I found surfing and was awful but something kept me going. As I became better and successful, it became my entire focus. With everyone pumping up my ego, it became harder to do other things because I did not want to look dumb.

    Of course I wanted to improve my surfing even more and I began to undertake a long process that lead me to understand that I needed improvement more than my surfing needed improvement. Now I write, I am on a long journey to learn Portuguese, and I ask people to show me things that I felt had nothing to do with me. Basically, I am embracing learning and understanding that life has many processes in place. You will look bad the first time you try something new but that is why you take lessons or ask questions to people who are better.

    I was on a bus in Barbados. Far up in the mountains, you could look down and see the coast and the beautiful blue ocean. A lady next to me looked at my clothes and asked if I was a surfer and how the beach has been. At first I was dumbfounded. The island is small and a short drive (or a very long walk) would have her spending an afternoon on the beach. I asked when the last time she went down to the beach was and she said years ago.

    Life is far to short to hole yourself up in the same routines and nothing is so important that you can not take even one afternoon to enjoy something else.

    • OMG I love this Steve! You are so right! How many times in life do we pass up simple and easy ways to spice things us just a bit! Thank you so much for such a raw and honest comment. I appreciate the connection and the love we both share for writing and surfing!

  5. Isn’t it amazing the power those three letters can unleash in us? Great post and so eyeopening and a great reminder to us all. Just found your blog and am enjoying it. Thanks for sharing your inspiration and motivation with everyone!