Living Your Best Yes: What Does Yes Look Like?

What is it about saying yes that terrifies and thrills? I think it is because "Yes" takes us places that we can't predict...which can mean that, well, anything can happen! When you say yes to opportunities and yes to reinventing yourself you are inviting others to come along too. What does living your best yes look like to you and your children? Read and be encouraged!

"She said yes!" The announcer shouted over the general din of the race event. A great cheer went up from the crowd because we all love love. The enthusiastic announcer went on to say that this was the first proposal of the day. We all cheered again. I smiled at the excitement that was generated in a group of strangers because two other strangers had said yes to one another. In that moment excitement and joy burst in the air like confetti from one of those party poppers. Yes has a way of doing that.

Those strangers were saying yes to believing that life is better when it is spent with another who invites you to say "Yes!" to sharing the great road trip of living. This is the yes that keeps on asking, "What else will you say yes to?" How many yes moments are before us?

Yes is a word soaked in potential. Yes carries us forward.

What do you say yes to? What hope do you include in your yes? What fear keeps your yes locked inside? Yes can be a scary word. There are unforeseen details that come with every yes, and sometimes the fear of those details keep us from living in the yes. So we stifle the word and all its potency. We hide from the power and the capacity of yes. Yes is a big word.

What do you say yes to? Sometimes, saying yes will mean that you are going to give away more of yourself than you ever have before. Parenting and creating a Harbor Home is one of those yeses that pushes you to stretch and grow and become so much more than you ever knew you could be. It stretches and strengthens. It gives and takes. Saying yes taps us in to a deep well of creativity and and fortitude. We become more when we say yes.

Here is the tricky part: saying yes is often complicated. Saying yes is seldom a thing that effects only you. Your yes will impact others. Your yes will impact people you love. Be careful with your yes. Save your yes to lavish on the things that will set you up for strong connections with those people who matter most.

The title of this blog is "Joyful Harbor Home. " To create this type of home, the habit of saying yes is very helpful. Here is what I mean:

1. Say yes to ending relationships that cause drama and harm. Not everyone in your life is building you up. Examine your friendships. Are you proud of your behavior or speech when you are together with your friends? What sort of social media posts do you engage in with them? How do you feel after spending time with them? If your friends dishonor you or your family priorities or influence you to behave unbecomingly, say yes to other relationships. Say yes to people who bring out the best in you. Encourage others

2. Say yes to the long term. As I have said many times during nearly two years of blog writing and speaking, raising children is a long-term process and requires your presence in the present. Your children need and want you to say yes to them. Especially if you are a single parent this can seem so very difficult. But once you have truly committed to the yes you will find that the rewards are bountiful. Fearlessly move on to the long term yes. You will not regret it.

3. Say yes to new experiences. When was the last time you tried something new? I mean really new. Not just a new restaurant. A time when you set aside everything that you are comfortable with and branched out fearlessly into the unknown? It doesn't have to be a dramatic act to be new and uncomfortable. You don't have to jump out of an airplane or swim with sharks. I'm talking about things like a prayer practice that seems awkward at first. Practicing intentional silence for an evening. Doing a very humble task when you are used to being in charge. Being cheerful on purpose to the workplace grump. Or, if you want to, jump out of an airplane and then swim with the sharks. You do you.

4. Say yes to fewer possessions. I'm not a true minimalist, but with each passing day I see the great value in having less. Cleaning out the closet, pantry, basement, cosmetic drawer, or that catch all basket at your front door is such a blessing. Just let those items move out of your circle unless they are truly useful or you believe that they are beautiful. Get rid of duplicate whatever it is. Do you really need two melon ballers? Do you even need one? Seriously. Say yes to fewer things and see what joy will fill that void. It will be better. I Promise.

Saying yes to creating a Harbor Home is scary because it looks like you have to giveyourself up. But it really is giving yourself away. There is a difference. When you give yourself away the hole created by the yes is filled back in to overflowing. There are lots things that we say yes to that strengthen and stretch us at the same time.

If you are creating a Harbor Home with children right now I encourage you to say a loud, enthusiastic, confident, and hopeful "Yes!" to all the things that bring life and joy. Yes is the word that gives more than it takes and offers more than it withholds. Say yes today!