So often, we automatically say no to new experiences. We don’t already know what those experiences will be like, so we fear them. But how boring would it be if we already knew what every experience would be like? There would be no magic or wonder in the world.
Knowing is limiting. It’s the unknown where the mystery of life resides and where all possibility is born.
So don’t push away the unknowns. Step into the joy, richness, and yumminess of life. As the ancient Sufi poet Rumi wrote, “Respond to every call that excites your spirit.”
Believe that you can bring opportunities into your life that will bring you joy, peace, adventure, and excitement.
A pivotal moment for me came when two of my coworkers at Hay House asked me to write a poem for their wedding and read it at the ceremony. Reid Tracy, president and CEO of Hay House heard the poem and he said, “Oh, you’re a real poet!” Now, I had a master’s degree in poetry writing, but it took Reid saying that to me before I truly believed it. I thought Reid hated poetry, but he asked me to start reading my poems before the keynote speakers at our conferences that I was emceeing. It was the first of many yeses that I would say, even though I was scared out of my mind.
After I had read my poems on stage for a while, Reid said, “Why don’t you share some of your personal story, too?” That led to my becoming a speaker on the Hay House circuit.
I could never have imagined what would happen on the other side of my greatest fear. And it all came about from making the jump and saying yes, again and again. I said yes to getting on stage, standing in my truth, telling my story. It was a jump without a mask or a cape.
It was astonishing to me to realize how much resonance there was. I thought my poems and my story was so personal and private. Yet what I’ve learned is that the more specific, the more universal.
We all think we need to hide some part of us in order to be loved and accepted. And we’re also running around wanting to be loved for who we are. True intimacy and connection can only be found when my vulnerability meets yours in the sweet spot.
What parts of you are you ready to say “yes” to, today?
