Life of Yes

Sitting along the sidelines of the soccer field, I was chatting with a fellow mom in between goal saves and corner kicks about how I was headed downtown that night to go check out a new restaurant and then a roof top bar with a girlfriend of mine.  Her reaction was “Wow, you have lived here a year and already done more than I have in the past 10.”  Surprisingly, this is not the first time I have heard that response.  In some ways, I am like a newlywed with this city I now call home;  over the initial hopelessly in love phase, you know- where even the quirks are cute and you find them endearing.  Now, I realize, they are just quirks.  And yes, I may wake up one day and realize that the city has left its socks on the bathroom floor AGAIN  and we may just end up having our first fight, but for now I am certainly enjoying this infatuation phase while I can get it.

But the reality is that my life was not always this way.  My life used to be composed of a lot of no.  Personally, when wanting to try something new, the thought of what would happen if it didn’t work out, or just to many “to-do’s” to fit in a little adventure prohibited me from actually trying.  And I would certainly never have gone someplace by myself.  I would be embarrassed to show up without a friend in tow- as if the scarlet letter A actually stood for Alone.  I was also faced with a lot of what I call road blocks.  Looking back, the relationship I was in provided a lot of “that is just too much work to make happen” or “I really don’t want to do that- but you go” type of stuff.  Road blocks that I should have found a way around, but instead I allowed them to stop me in my tracks.  How sad is it that I missed out on so many wonderful life experiences.  Regardless of the why, I was  the holder of my own destiny and for whatever reason felt that I had to have affirmation that yes, you should do that, before I actually took the first step. 

Now, I choose to live a life of Yes.  Yes, I will go on that trip where all we have prepared is a full tank of gas and maybe a place to stay- the rest we will figure out as we go. Yes I will try a new restaurant, sporting event or singles group when the opportunity presents itself.  Yes, I will make sure I go to the Farmer’s Market on the square when I feel like it just because it makes me happy.  And why not check out that country western bar?  It doesn’t have to be my favorite place, and chances are that I will never return, but for me, it’s all about the experience.  (And the boots. Can’t forget the boots.) 

I realize that life is busy.  It’s hard.  There is always “something” going on.   But I had to live through a life changing event in order to gain my Yes back- never again will I let the routine of daily life be the reason to hang on to the No.  What is it that you want to experience?  What have you been thinking about in the back of your mind to try, just to see if you might like it?  It doesn’t have to be difficult.  Walk the downtown of a city that you have never been to before.  Sign up for that photogrophy class- you don't have to be the next Annie Liebovitz or Ansel Adams- making yourself happy is reason enough.  Attend a summer festival in a neighboring state.  Go check out that place you have driven by 100 times and each time said “I really want to go there.”   Or, if you are really daring, get out that Life List and start checking things off. 

You never know what you might discover- about your surroundings, and about yourself.

Yes.