Saying yes

Hello! 

Is it just me or is the year running away with you too? It's already basically half way through April and I can remember Christmas Eve last year like it was about 2 minutes ago.

Part of why I remember Christmas Eve last year was because this was when I decided (at least to try) to start saying yes to things. 2013 was a write off for me. I didn't enjoy it and I actively choose not to try and remember it. It wasn't as horrible as that might make it sound but I wasn't happy. Of course there were a couple of highlights which I can look back on fondly but these are few and far between the other 360 odd days of feeling hopeless.

Like many offices, we have half day closing on Christmas Eve and one of the teams was going out for a few jars in the afternoon. Being a friendly bunch the organiser was happily going around inviting the rest of the building to join in. This is where I normally would politely decline and make my way home. For some reason though I didn't. I allowed myself to be persuaded into tagging along, the intention being to just have one and then leave. Except I didn't. I was having such a lovely time that I stayed. 

Two very good things came out of this. One, I think this is where a friendship started in earnest. It was later cemented by sitting in the basement of a tattoo studio for an hour waiting for him to have his ear pierced. That's what friends are for. 

The second good thing was that it showed me that saying while saying yes to something doesn't guarantee a good time, it certainly increases the chances more than saying no. I'm not going to do a full Danny Wallace* and say Yes to everything but I am definitely having a much better year so far since shifting my mindset. 

Recently I decided to take a chance and say yes to something I normally wouldn't. I would normally talk myself out of it, convincing myself it was a bad idea. That I would just be setting myself up for guaranteed disappointment / embarassment and that I would be better off just saying no and avoiding the whole thing.

I can honestly say that saying yes is possibly the best decision I have made this year. 

Don't be scared, say yes to something. I promise it won't be as bad as you think it will be. And if it is, chalk it up to experience and try something different next time.

Loves Charlotte x

*I read Yes Man many a year ago but it is still one if my favourite books. I highly recommended it.