It’s often in the build-up to plans, events, and moments in life that some of us feel that itch. That nag. Those growing urges… all to say no.
We talk ourselves into a seemingly justified position and climb the hill we’re ready to fight on.
“I wouldn’t have liked it anyway.”
“ I never wanted to go – and I’m only doing it for them.”
“ What if it’s rubbish? I may as well not bother.”
Sound familiar? Well, this happened to me recently. In fact, I was a bit of a pain about going to an event I’d been asked to help at.
Real grumpy toddler vibes.
After collecting all the toys I’d thrown from the pram, I did what felt very much like the wrong thing in the moment – and I went to the event. If this is resonating with you at all, you’ll already know the outcome. It turned out to be a lovely day, full of good vibes and sent me home feeling tired, accomplished and happy. And this good feeling lasted all week. It even made me rethink certain small actions and thoughts that may end up leading to bigger changes.
All because of the word yes.
Let’s break down the “no”
It’s going to be different for everyone – but let’s conduct a post-mortem on the “no” scenario above. It’s probably going to highlight a few things: a fear of putting myself in a situation where there was a level of uncertainty, a decision one part of me was convinced about, but I still felt bad about making, and a desire to spend my Sunday doing the same ol’ nothing – in spite of it being dull.
Most of us quite like comfort. Even creatives like a bit of routine, although we might not like to admit it. It doesn’t take a lot for us to recoil into our shell when something new or different we aren’t sure about appears on our horizons.
But doing something you don’t want to do, or maybe just don’t quite feel up to, can open doors you didn’t know you wanted (or needed) opening.
What’s in a “yes”?
Yes is a funny old word. It’s a commitment – and for the commitment-phobes among us, that doesn’t fill us with glee. But it’s also an opportunity. We’re likely to listen to the doubts, and the “what ifs?” in our mind when we’re met with the option of a yes or no. That’s how we’re wired.
But when we say yes, good things happen. Like the opportunity to see and experience new things, to lift ourselves out of the norm. Sometimes a decision to help or support takes you into a world you don’t normally experience, and helps you to see places you don’t normally go, and meet people you otherwise wouldn’t have. Variety is the spice of life and all that.
Flipping those negative “what ifs?” into positive thoughts can make opening that door to new opportunities even easier. And the more we are reminded that yes often results in good, the more we’ll say it.
Yes can be powerful. Yes can be life-changing. Yes can be just about anything.
A simple yes leads to fresh ideas and new sources of inspiration.
Say yes and feel alive
When it comes to creating campaigns, we’re believers in saying yes to those whacky thoughts and bold streaks of inspiration. And we encourage our clients to try and be the same.
If you’re ready for some fresh thinking, new perspectives and a team that’ll encourage you to realign your mind – we want to work with you!
