The “Yes” Man
I was once a “YES” man.
If you asked me to pick you up from the bar, sure. You want me to finish the entire group project? Absolutely. You want me to go out the night before a test? Sure, why not.
It’s exhausting.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to do all these things for people. It’s selfless. It’s caring. It’s loving. But at the expense of your long-term overall well-being? I don’t think so.
I found myself getting so caught up in doing what others wanted me to do that I lost focus on what drives me & what I truly care about.
So what did I do? I went thousands of miles across the globe to Glasgow, Scotland because I wanted PERSPECTIVE. I learned the power of saying NO to things that I didn’t feel like doing.
For an entire week, I practiced saying NO to stuff I didn’t want to do which even including NOT going to class. Yes, this is an extreme, but I wanted to practice the skill of deciding what I WANTED to do, not what was expected of me. From there on out, I began to have that mindset that I have this privilege to be able to do anything that I ever wanted to do. All I need is a computer and a little bit of drive and I can learn anything.
So what do I want you to try (only if you want to)
Try this for a week even if you are apprehensive. This little trick will allow you to focus only on the things that you want to focus on. Skip Class. Skip the gym. But don’t skip eating because you kind of need that ?
I am not saying to completely ignore mandatory obligations you have in your life like eating, family, school, etc. but it’s to hone in on what you truly desire out of your life. Practice this strategy, and I feel pretty confident that you CAN find perspective!