Your Next Yes Might Change Everything

Last week in Wise Wednesday, we had one of those conversations that lingers.

Not because it was complicated.
But because it was honest.

We centered it around The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, and if you missed it, here is the idea in ten seconds:

Shonda Rhimes, creator of Grey’s Anatomy, realized she was saying no to everything outside her comfort zone. So for one year, she committed to saying yes to the things that scared her.

And it changed her life.

But here is the part that stuck with me the most:

Saying yes is not just personal.
It creates ripples.
It opens doors not just for you, but for others.

When Yes Turns Into No

I shared something personal with the group.

My husband is a “no” person. We all know it. It is part of who he is. And honestly, it protects us sometimes.

I have always been the “yes” person.

You want to try Goddess Hot Yoga? Let’s go.
You want to visit a weird museum in a small town in Wyoming? I am your girl.

But if I am being honest… over the last year, especially after Covid, I noticed something.

I have started saying no more.

Not intentionally. Just… slowly.

And this book called it out for me.

It is fear.

Not big, obvious fear. Just subtle hesitation.

And I realized something I did not love admitting:

I want to get back to being the woman who says yes.

You Are Not the Problem

This is what I see in so many women.

You are bold.
You are capable.

But there is still that quiet voice:

Am I ready?
Am I enough?
Do I belong?

And that voice quietly turns yes into no.

Shonda had the same thing.

She was wildly successful… and still hiding.

And she said yes anyway.

The Ocean Lesson

This weekend, I was at the beach with my grandkids.

My granddaughter wanted to walk out into the ocean as far as we could go.

About five minutes in, she got scared.

I told her, we are safe. Let’s just take ten more steps. And if we want to turn back, we will.

So we did.

Again. And again. And again.

Before we knew it, we were about a quarter mile from shore.

We were laughing, talking about becoming mermaids. I told her to take a deep breath and just be in it… because it was magical.

We were at peace.

Then her mom came out.

She loves to joke, and she yelled “Shark!”
Then said just kidding.
Then did it again.
And again.

And I watched my granddaughter lose all of her peace.

She started crying.

And in that moment, I thought…

All that work to get her out there… gone in a flash.

But Here Is What Matters

After the tears…

We went back out.

And she found it again.

This Is What Saying Yes Looks Like

People are going to try to steal your peace when you say yes.

Fear will show up.
Doubt will show up.
Sometimes even other people will shake you.

But the answer is not to stop.

The answer is to go back out.

The Question That Matters

We asked this in our session, and I will ask you the same:

When was the last time you said yes to something that scared you a little?

And maybe more importantly…

What are you saying no to right now out of fear?

Not All Yeses Are Equal

One of the most important parts of our conversation was this:

Not every yes is a good one.

There is a difference between a yes that grows you… and a yes that drains you.

A right yes stretches you. It feels aligned. It is a little scary, but also exciting.

A wrong yes comes from obligation, guilt, or people-pleasing. It shrinks you.

The goal is not to say yes to everything.

It is to say yes to the right things… faster.

Your Next Yes

You do not change your life with ten perfect decisions.

You change it with one bold yes.

So here is where I will leave you:

What is one yes you are going to say this week?

Because that one decision…
might create a ripple you cannot even see yet.