“Our only choice is a question of engagement.”
– Brene Brown, Daring Greatly
Lately I’ve been noticing that of all the choices we can make in life, one particular choice makes all the difference.
What I’ve been seeing is how the ability to engage, to say Yes to what matters, is the choice that sets everything else in motion.
By saying Yes to a new career direction or a new way of focusing in their work, my clients have had dream opportunities present themselves; developed creative new offerings by letting go of work that no longer fits their purpose; and sourced critical business resources that had previously seemed completely out of reach.
In all of these cases, the ground had been laid for these amazing openings for quite a while. People were building skills, and testing options, but had lingering doubts and fears that were keeping them stuck.
Once they committed to a full Yes, it set them in a direction where more possibilities began to unfold. Their fears didn’t completely disappear, but they were no longer running the show.
The Yes I’m talking about is not about manifesting some random material desire, like “I’m saying Yes to a million dollars” and the next day a truck pulls up and dumps cash on your doorstep (although that could be fun…). This is about saying Yes to how you want to participate in and contribute to the world.
When we say Yes to our work in the world, we agree to engage in a dialogue. How the world replies is always a worthy and exciting conversation.
Photo by Julie Harris at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area