Emerging from my cozy cocoon of contraction, I am startled by the hasty NO that arrives spontaneously as an involuntary reflex to what comes along in my life. It is my automatic response to most requests – it doesn’t seem to matter what the question is; my immediate responseis NO. It may at some point turn into a YES, but I always have to manage the NO, finagle it into a YES.
Exhausting.
So, I’ve been practicing saying YES – to everything. I’ve made an agreement with myself that I will walk down any road that presents itself to me. I’m not evaluating the quality or the destination; I’m just walking the road until it becomes impassable, too treacherous, or simply becomes apparent that it is no longer the right road.
YES until it’s a NO. That’s a primary part of my non-resistance practice. And, I’m telling people of this practice so they can give me the proverbial raised eyebrow when the first thing out of my mouth is NO. I need help recognizing the YES in me. It feels better and more honest than NO. It’s alive and well just under the tendency toward resistance. I want to experience YES fully!
Do you have an involuntary response that says NO too much? Are you in the habit of resisting what presents itself in your life. Or is there a faulty old program running in the background that keeps you from being fully engaged? How will you create a different habit? What practice will you take on to help you be more available and curious about the things that come along in your life? What’s your YES?
to life, Carol