Point to Ponder:
Which do you say more often: "yes" or "no" ?
Have you ever thought about the power of the words “yes” and “no” and how they affect your ability to have fun, be fulfilled and enjoy life more? I never had until my mid-twenties, when I co-owned a non-competitive gymnastics business. Our gymnasts ranged from toddlers to preteens, and our goal was for each child to leave feeling enthusiastic about gymnastics and their experience, regardless of what they accomplished. Our expectation was for them to run to their parents telling them how much fun they had and how great they were, even if they had perfected something as small as a donkey kick, as exhilarating as kicking over and into a cartwheel (while kicking a coach in the face — which happened a lot) or a powerful round-off flip flop.
Regardless of age or talent, when children performed a skill incorrectly or the coaches caught a foot in the face, we trained ourselves to smile and say “YES, great job! Now lets try it again this way…!” This response always increased the child’s confidence and escalated their progression. It also made our coaching experience (which was a wild adventure), genuinely exceptional, joyful and a load of fun. We also left each class excited and eager to coach the children again, and we felt the children shared the same enthusiasm.
This week, as we continue to focus on having fun, the benefits of fun and adding more fun into our lives, I encourage you to practice saying “YES” to yourself, your spouse, children, significant other, friends, co-workers, etc . and to carefully consider the times you say “no.” When you need and have to say “no”, I urge you to follow it with an enthusiastic alternative—something you can smile about, something you can say “YES” to. I have no doubt this will lead you down an exhilarating and exciting path and leave you and those around you more satisfied and invigorated!
Action Item:
Practice saying “YES” to yourself, your spouse, children, significant other, friends, co-workers, etc. and carefully consider the times you say “no.” When you need and have to say “no”, I urge you to follow it with an enthusiastic alternative—something you can smile about, something you can say “YES” to.
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