This year, I’ve embarked on a personal experiment regarding living life to its fullest. I decided in January, that I wanted to say YES more, and to see how it might have an effect on my life.

As a therapist, it’s easy to fall into the trap of helping others while not…ahem…following my own advice. I decided that to go into uncertainty in a hopeful way and see what would come, is exactly the excellent feedback I’d give to a client. And, I wanted to be able to say it works 🙂

So, since January, I have been intentionally focusing on saying yes to every opportunity, however anxiety provoking or awkward, that has the potential to teach me something or further my life in a positive manner. This is a shift for me personally, as I’ve made the excuses in the past of not having time, being skeptical, or not feeling like it. But, what I’ve realized, is most of the time, I have nothing to lose, other than a brief feeling of anxiety, followed by learning something new about myself. But, the benefits haven’t ended there. I’ve noticed that not only do I feel more confident about my abilities and happier in general, but I’ve developed deeper connections with others. My relationships are fuller because I am ME in them, and not who others expect me to be.

So, part of this journey has been a re-connection with my authentic self. I feel as though my values and my actions are more congruent, and life seems a bit easier.

I hope that if you are reading this, you think about how you can say YES to life more often. Perhaps you are invited to try something you’ve never done before…invited to present on a topic you are passionate about…say yes and see what happens! What do you have to lose?