How frequently do opportunities come into your life? Oftentimes, we’re paralyzed by some fear that has been hounding us for years. I’m just as guilty as you. Amazing situations have lined up in my life and I have turned them down simply because “no” came to mind first. What if we actually looked at these opportunities intentionally and before we said “no,” we thought through what a “yes” might look like…what could be?
Here’s an example from my life. Last week, Robert Scoble came to town. For those of you who don’t know him, he’s an internet star. His opinions are valued by many and he’s an all around nice guy. He comes to San Antonio infrequently, so we had a party that he attended. The night was winding down and there were a few of us left, so he, his (awesome) cameraman Rocky and some other fun people decided to get a bite to eat. I chose to opt out and head home. A few minutes later, I realized what a silly mistake I was making. There was no reason to say “no.” I turned around and met up with Scoble and the rest of the folks and I’m glad I did. I would have missed out on a great conversation, learning more about the people I was with all because my first reaction was “no.”
I certainly had said “no” in the past to opportunities without any real reason for saying it, but I always found a way to rationalize my decision later and you’ve likely done the same. This week, I challenge you to look at your situation and say “YES!” where you’d typically say “no.” Are you an overachiever? Get someone else to play along. If you’ve got a great story to tell about your “YES!” adventure, please share in the comments or catch me on Twitter.
photo by cpalmieri
