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Become a Yes Man (or Yes Woman)

Become a Yes Man (or Yes Woman)

A little while ago we watched Yes Man, the 2008 comedy film starring Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel. The premise of the film is that Carrey’s character Carl vows to answer “Yes!” to every opportunity, request or invitation that presents itself.

Because it’s a comedy, his affirmative answer to every question often leads to awkward and amusing situations but regardless, a lot of inspiration can be taken from the message of saying “yes” to everything (well, not everything, obviously – but a lot more!) and open your mind to a whole new world of possibilities.

Segway in Singapore

Yes we look incredibly silly, but it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done!

From a personal perspective, to say the two of us are indecisive is an understatement. When asked simple questions like “do you want chicken for dinner?”, we answer with perhaps the three most useless words in the English dictionary.

“I don’t know”.

When you’re a traveler, these words won’t get you very far. In fact – answering “I don’t know” or flat-out declining an invitation may result in missing out on something you’ll regret for a lifetime. By saying yes, we’ve experienced many things that have made us step well outside our comfort zone.

Saying Yes to Handling a Snake

Saying "Yes" to handling a snake.

But regrettably, we also have said “no” on occasions. On our upcoming round-the-world trip, the two of us are determined to become a “Yes Man” and a “Yes Woman” in order to experience as much as we possibly can. Sure, sometimes this attitude might hurt our travel budget and we’ll often need to step outside of our comfort zone, but by saying “yes” we will create plenty of positive memories that will last forever.

A year ago we wouldn’t have even considered doing something like skydiving or eating weird creatures like bugs. In fact, we probably would have answered with “never!” if asked to do those things. But you should never say never and if the opportunity to experience things like this presents itself while we’re on the road, then we’ll be seizing the day and answering with a loud and emphatic “yes”.

Never say never, for if you live long enough, chances are you will not be able to abide by its restrictions. Never is a long, undependable time, and life is too full of rich possibilities to have restrictions placed upon it.
– Gloria Swanson

If you’re reading this post, we implore you to change your attitude and become a “yes man” or “yes woman” – even if just for a day!

Eliminate the words “No” and “I don’t know” from your vocabulary and accept the opportunities or invitations that present themselves. It might just change your life.

Question: Has a film inspired you to change your attitude lifestyle? Let us know in the comments.

Flickr Photo: Joe Shlabotnik

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