Say Yes

LaTecia Yarbrough

Why is it so difficult to say "yes"? Is it the fear of failing or the fear of not being good enough? Saying no, in any case, prevents a lot of things like access to new skills and opportunities. The word is safe and familiar. Don’t limit yourself. Repeat after me: YES, I can feed new interests and build new relationships. Doing so may lead to new knowledge and understanding, a new network and community, or even a newfound love. All you need is a little push outside of your comfort zone to reach a greater potential. 

I think I was done safely and easily after experiencing so much during this pandemic. This pandemic has taught me that NO should not be in my vocabulary. It makes me think about the scene from Love and Basketball when Quincy says CAN’T, and his father says CAN’T should not be in a man's vocabulary. I've discovered that saying NO out of fear is not how I want to live my life. I want to take risks. I want to fail. Why? Because I want to continue to push myself to be a better version of myself.

I don't want you to think that NO is a negative word, but it can be detrimental to your achievement when used out of fear. NO used to set boundaries or NO used to manage mental health are essential parts of your wellness. But when someone comes to you and asks if you would like to try a new thing, and you say NO because you fear failure, then you are not trying hard enough at bettering your life! Accept new opportunities to learn, grow, and blossom into the person you've always aspired to be. So, if you just have one charge to do this month, SAY YES!