Up for It—Saying Yes to Life
Sure! Let’s go!
The people I enjoy being with the most have a sense of adventure about them. They are up for anything. It’s not only a willingness to explore the unknown and engage in new experiences—it’s also an overwhelming sense of optimism and enthusiasm. They’re an inspiration to me, but they’re also just fun to hang around with. They look at the bright side of whatever happens and don’t treat barriers or challenges as problems. They also have courage—courage to explore the unknown and to take risks—courage in the face of doubt. All of us have a range of opportunities every day—opportunities to try new things or to get to know new people—and some of these opportunities will involve risks. A sense of adventure doesn’t mean saying yes to every opportunity that arises or totally ignoring risks and responsibilities. It does mean being open to opportunities and open to the possibilities they present. It means saying yes to life.
Developing an attitude of adventure and exploration
Saying yes to life is more about attitude than about action. It’s an openness toward opportunities as they arise, an awareness of possibilities and potential, and a willingness to take risks and try new things. If you have these elements in your attitude toward life, your world will be a much bigger and more interesting place. If you don’t have these elements in your attitude, they can be developed through a general sense of openness and a mindful, non-judgmental awareness of your path. A general sense of openness means getting control of your knee-jerk attitudes and reactions. It means reflecting on anything you come across without immediately judging or categorizing it. For example, when you meet someone, it can be very natural to put them in some kind of box and draw conclusions about them.
This person is uneducated and therefore not very smart.
This person works a menial job, so we won’t have anything in common.
This person is loud and boisterous and so must be totally obnoxious.
It’s important to explore people and circumstances and not to let your snap judgments get in the way of opportunities for relationships and experiences.
The link between adventure and positivity
Saying yes to life also means focusing on the bright side. It begins with an assumption that life is going to be fun and exciting. Of course, it doesn’t always turn out that way, but if we start with that assumption, we’ll be much more likely to find fun and exciting experiences, since we’ll be open to and on the lookout for them. Conversely, if we assume things will go badly or that we won’t have a good time, that will also be much more likely to happen. Looking at the bright side doesn’t mean ignoring the downside or risks; it means not allowing them to be the overriding factor in our decisions. We incorporate risks and challenges into our decisions, but instead of focusing on them, we focus on the rewards and benefits. We go in with our eyes open to the downside but keep them focused on the upside.
Don’t give in to doubts
Whenever we think about something that’s new or different or that involves change or risk, we may feel doubt—doubt about losing what we have, doubt about whether we should take a risk, or doubt about whether we shouldn’t leave well enough alone. Doubt is natural and often good. It’s part of being a rational person and may help us avoid dangerous situations. But like everything in life, we should strive for balance. With doubt, balance means considering it but not letting it control us. We will always have doubts, and we should reflect on them. We should try to understand them, and where they come from, and consider whether they are keeping us on a rational path or keeping us from a more meaningful and fulfilling life. The key point is to never take them at face value. Go deeper and try to understand them. We will always have doubts, but our doubts should never have the final word.
Don’t limit yourself to only those experiences and people that you know—be open to all life has to offer.
~~~
Artwork by Rolffimages
