How to dance it out, stand in the rain and be your own person. The author took the year of 2014 to change her perspective and say yes to EVERYTHING. Scary right? This got me thinking could i change my perspective for 2016 and start saying yes? Maybe not to everything but to some of the things that scare me? This is me giving it a try.
City Guy and I were having brunch with some friends. In between the wonderful food at Blu Notes, a New Orleans inspired restaurant in Charlotte, NC and the continuous laughter of friends one mentioned a book by Shonda Rhimes entitled, Year of Yes. It wasn't until I was faced with some busy work and I needed to be less distracted that I started thinking about the book.What have you said yes to in the last 30 days that you would have normally said no to?
Shonda says "say yes to anything that scares you. I requested that my Toastmasters introduction include my dream job which is to be a radio personality and or a voice over actress. There was an opportunity to do a voice over at my day job. I raised my hand. Although I was busy doing regular work. I still raised my hand. I wanted to challenge myself, step outside of the box, put myself out there. I had my reservations because this voice over had the potential to be played at least two times a day, at three different locations four days a week with at least 12 people hearing my voice. That means over 7,000 people has the potential to hear MY voice. That's just one year. Anytime I recorded myself doing a Toastmaster speech I could never listen to the speech in its entirely. By agreeing to do this people would be able to hear my voice over and over again. But I said yes anyway.
I so agree with one of the author's theory behind saying yes to anything that scares you. Saying no has gotten you here, here sucks. Saying yes may not get you somewhere better but definitely will get you somewhere different.
When has there been a time that you have taken control of how your yes looks?
Shonda reminds us that while saying yes, you are also in control of what yes will look like. This had never occurred to me until reading "Year of Yes". Most times you find yourself saying yes right away either because you would have done so even if you weren't asked or you end up regretting saying yes while you are doing the deed or after the deed it is done. What if before you said yes you controlled how your yes looked. For example your child's teacher ask for volunteers at the schools next event and work makes it very difficult to get away and participate in school activities during the day. Instead of telling the teacher "uh no, I can't do that because I have to work" sounding like 75% of all the other parents. What about saying yes right away and hope that your work doesn't get piled while you are at the class St. Patty's day celebration! Which one do you choose? What if you took a moment and came up with a solution that could make all parties winners. You look like the Super Mom or Dad, the teacher is a happy camper because of the extra help and to your child you look at a rock star parent! You say yes and instead of going to the school you say yes to bringing the cupcakes and prepping the St. Patty's day activity. It is nice to be able to go in the classroom to help but these days this is not always possible. I guarantee your child's teacher will appreciate you cutting out all those tiny squares for the St. Patrick's Day Bingo and for going to Kinko's and making the copies of the St. Patrick's Day Word Search!
Shonda reminds us that although you may be a single mother be sure to take advantage of opportunities. You should have people surrounding you. Remember the saying it takes a village. If you are around people you wouldn't trust with your children then you may need some new people.
One of my favorite parts of the book is Power Pose.
Power pose just like Wonder Woman. Hands on Hips head to the sky and image your cape is flapping in the wind. You have silver bracelets on your arms and you know how to use them.
Say yes to play, say yes to your body, say yes to the club (I didn't quite get this one) and say yes to difficult conversations.
One of Shonda's quotes still lingers in my head and I find myself pulling it out every now and again.
"Happy whole people are attracted to happy whole people yet nothing makes a person more toxic and distributive than a happy whole person. Unhappy people don't like it when a fellow unhappy becomes happy".
Hence misery loves company people!! I'm Doneisha and this is my so-called southern life.
