Happy Wednesday to everyone! My time in California is coming to an end…and I might even be on an airplane as you are reading this! I will have some pictures and an update on my trip sometime next week.
Today we have a guest post from Robyn Guthrie (the girl on the left in the above photo) who has a blog called The Adventure Journal. Robyn is going to share a little bit about how we can each start saying “yes” in our lives more often! Hope you enjoy it!
saying yes.
If like me you have been an avid follower of other peoples adventures whether it be through blogs, books, or film you have probably, like millions of others, become a watcher.
I was a watcher not so long ago. I know what it’s like. You sit and scroll through endless documentaries, photo albums, journals and blog posts feasting your eyes on the experiences of these inspiring people.
People who travel and create and meet talented, like-minded friends and do amazing things everyday as you sit at home hiding behind your laptop wishing that those things would happen to you.
But don’t fear. You are not alone and I’m here to help you out of this minor blip and help you start living your life the way you really want to.
First we need to tackle the insecurities that are really behind your dissatisfaction. How do they do it? What do I need to do to make my life more like theirs?
The secret is so simple ( and the best usually are) and yet so difficult for many of us to start doing. The question you are really asking yourself is
How do I say yes?
How do I say “Yes, I like you” when I look in the mirror in the morning.
How do I say “Yes, I will go to Europe” or
“Yes I will eat the double chocolate chip triple layer fudge brownie”
“I will join that pottery class”
“I will talk to new people”
“I will learn to play guitar”
and the list goes on.
How do you stop being afraid of the opportunities life gives you?.
We turn down so many opportunities without even thinking about it. We wish we could be more outgoing but we constantly hide ourselves in the shadows for fear of being laughed at or feeling vulnerable.
We wish we could have more friends but don’t commit to joining classes or talking to that person at a party. So many of us are guilty for underestimating the amount of control we have over our situation… or passing on the responsibility.
You may catch yourself saying things like “ I have a job so I don’t have time to do fun things” or “When I lose weight I will socialise more”
But this is not the solution. When you are in a “yes” or “no” situation all you need to think about are these three simple things:
1. Do you want to do it?
What was your first instinct? Before you started running through all the risks, the financial difficulties, the time consumption… Is this something that you want to do. If you had all the time and money in the world would you want to do it. If the answer is no consider, will this act help someone else? If yes, will it be a burden or will the help you bring be worth the effort?
2. Will this hurt the people I care about?
Most of us are able to recognise when an action will hurt others unnecessarily. Never skip this step. Sometimes it is so easy to get excited about something without thinking about the consequences for other people.
See if there is something you could do which wouldn’t sacrifice your relationship with others. But sometimes you need to go for what want even if it offends the people you are close to. The classic example of this is a parents expectations of their child’s career and educational future.
3. Can I honestly make this work?
If the decision has a deadline you need to be upfront and honest with yourself about if you can fit it into your schedule, if you can afford it at this time. Be really honest with yourself here.
Would you be able to afford it if you cut down on the Starbucks lattes?
Could you fit it in if you woke up a little earlier?
Life begins outside of your comfort zone, Netflix can wait.
Remember that although it is important to seek out adventures and pursue the opportunities you are given, sometimes life will get in the way and you really can’t make it work. But there is every chance that the opportunity will arise again in the future and there will be plenty more opportunities along the way. So, don’t get too down about it.
Do you have trouble saying yes? What’s holding you back? Tell me what opportunities opened up to you when you started saying yes!
