Yes Man

I recently finished the book Yes Man by Danny Wallace. I enjoyed it. I have seen the film that was based upon the book but the link is tenuous and Hollywood didn't do it justice. It follows Danny's own experience when having slipped into a life not just ordinary but positively dull, he takes the advice of a man on a bus to 'say yes more'. The premise, which I tend to agree with, is that things only really happen in life when we say yes. No excludes us. No removes opportunities. No closes doors. No doesn't get us drunk, or laid for that matter.

I can't help but think he has a point which indeed he goes on to demonstrate. Opportunities to live a life less ordinary do present themselves, but it's just all to easy to dismiss them. Let's face it, easy is nice and a whole lot less effort. It's a bit like those invites that you agree to months in advance and as the day draws nearer you start questioning why you ever agreed and how much easier it would  be to just stay in and watch tv. 

When the night arrives you haul your carcass up out of the sofa, the lazier side of you having now realised that going may actually be easier than trying to worm your way out of it and guess what? Yep, you have a great time and you're glad you went! (Okay this doesn't have a 100% success record but you get the point). So I guess the yes idea is a discipline to counter our natural lazy tendency to think of reasons why we shouldn't do something when we should be thinking about all of the reasons why we should do something.

So where am I going with these inane ramblings. Well, firstly I think I need to say yes more, and not just to beer and sex.  Secondly, when I do have a random thought to do something less ordinary (more interesting) then I need to start telling myself all of the reasons why I SHOULD do it.