Say Yes to Life!

SAY YES TO LIFE: A PROMISE TO SELF

Looking back as the year goes by, would you and I feel like we have lived to the fullest OR are there regrets? Most people feel pangs of regret in hindsight!

Are the coming days too going to be on autopilot - just existing, going through the motions, stumbling through life like a zombie? OR is it time to live?!

After all, “saying yes to life” presupposes that life is potentially meaningful under any conditions, including the most miserable.

Finding Meaning. Among the few things that have touched my life in a profound way is Dr. Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning. In this book, Dr. Frankl, a Jewish psychiatrist, tells of his grim experiences in concentration camps, including Auschwitz, where his parents, brother, and pregnant wife all perished. He realized that we cannot avoid suffering, but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed vigor. His famous words ‘’ Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom ”; continue to echo in my ears long after I first came across his works.  

By "saying yes to life in spite of everything," he demonstrates how to go about finding that meaning.

I would like to share some things that changed my life, when I said “yes”! 

1. Being Imperfect. Trying to be perfect sets the bar too high. Usually impossible to reach, it lowers our self-esteem. So, be yourself without trying to change for others or censoring yourself when things don’t go right.

Spending more time with the people who support me, my dreams and value me, means less time with the critics. Remember, authenticity attracts the right people and opportunities. Perfectionism, on the other hand, is a prison disguised as ambition. 

2. Doing Things That Make Me Come Alive. It has become increasingly important for me to find some time and energy for the things I like, that really energize me. 

Trying something new, even if it is just something small each week, reconnecting with long-forgotten hobbies or simply reaching out to a friend I have been out of touch with has been incredibly fulfilling!

Often, joy hides in the simplest moments - a walk at sunrise, doodling on a scrap of paper, or singing in the shower. When we consciously make room for these activities, we give our souls oxygen. 

3. Practising Optimism. Pessimism can really limit lives, and in the past has even brought me to a standstill!  What is worse - it made me feel there was no point in even trying!! It creates glass ceilings and walls where there really are none.

Instead, when you’re in what seems like a negative situation, try reframing. Ask yourself questions that highlight opportunities, focus on what you can do to bring about a change, or just seek out positive company.

Optimism is not about ignoring reality. It is about choosing to see possibilities where others see dead ends. This mindset fuels resilience and hope. 

4. Tuning In. Watching my thoughts and self-talk has helped when it was difficult to keep motivation and self-esteem up - when my inner critic was one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way.

If we make mistakes, fail, or face criticism, then that small inner voice can become louder and drag you down.

Simply create a mental stop word or phrase that you say to yourself silently - or chant whenever your critic pipes up with a distorted and self-esteem-hurting thought. Count your blessings and feel happy at your achievements so far, for a quick mood boost. 

5. Practising Forgiveness. Not clinging to the past and to the hurt that is there, but letting it go and looking beyond, is a prerequisite to finding more happiness in life.

Forgiving hasnt always been easy and took time, but reminding myself that I forgive for my own benefit was a turning point. As long as we don’t forgive, we are linked to that person - our thoughts return to the person who wronged us and what they did, over and over again. This also strengthens the energetic chords that bind us, whereas all we want is to release them!

When you forgive, you do not only release the other person, but you set yourself free from all that agony too. 

6. Making Someone Else Happy. This should ideally be the easiest thing to do! Turns out it isnt!

Work in progress - I realize that doing things selflessly for others creates a chain of goodness, in addition to making yme feel good too.

Help out practically - lend someone a hand when they are moving, help them with information, try to help find a solution, or just listen to understand. Sometimes a friend or someone close to you may just want to vent or have someone to listen as they figure things out.

It may not seem like much, but it can be an immense help for someone who needs it. Small acts of kindness ripple outward far beyond what we can see. 

7. Being Open-Minded to Change. Changing one thing at a time, rather than too many things too soon was another important lesson! Willpower is something we often overestimate, and everyday life tends to come in the way.

So to make sure you have a much better chance of changing a habit or area of your life, change just one thing at a time.

Starting small - saying no to one small thing I don’t want to do this week; Or forgiving one person for one thing.. Or helping and making someone happy in some small way has helped immensely. 

Take just one small step outside of your comfort zone! When things have been standing still for a while or you hit a bump in the road, then it’s easy to back down; to withdraw; to give in or give up. Choose to say YES!

Saying no is often the easier way out. But every time we say yes to growth, we expand our capacity for life itself. 

8. My Daily Thank Yous. Gratitude shifts our focus from what’s missing to what’s already present. A simple practice I started of writing down three things I am grateful for each day shifted and transformed my perspective. Over time, this also rewires the brain to see abundance rather than lack. 

9. Cultivating Presence. We often live either in the regrets of the past or the anxieties of the future. Saying yes to life also means saying yes to this moment.

Mindfulness practices - whether meditation, breathing exercises, or simply eating a meal slowly without distractions - helps anchor me in the present. The now is where life actually happens. 

10. Embracing Curiosity. Children say yes to life instinctively. They explore, ask questions, and marvel at the ordinary. As adults, we sometimes lose that spark.

Reigniting curiosity by learning something new, traveling to unfamiliar places, or even taking a different route to work has helped me to remain a student of the world. 

Saying YES to life doesn’t mean avoiding difficulties or pretending everything is perfect. It means showing up - authentically, vulnerably, courageously - for whatever life offers.

Each small “yes” adds up: yes to forgiving, yes to reaching out, yes to laughing more, yes to trying again.

And one day, when I look back, instead of regrets, I will hopefully find a life woven with meaning, connection, and joy.

So, my friend, pause and ask yourself: What will you say yes to today?