4 Reasons You Need To Say ‘Yes’ A Lot More

Remember that movie with Jim Carrey where he has to say yes to everything instead of saying no? Well that is essentially what I am pitching to you all.

I admit it that I used to be (and sometimes still can be) one of those people who thinks of just about any excuse I could to not do something. I definitely know the feeling of that dreaded moment when you have to actually get out of bed or off your couch and get in the shower to start getting ready. But here’s the thing: when we say no we are missing out on so many opportunities and experiences in life. I know we are all familiar with the phrase “FOMO” (fear of missing out) and it is so real. I have a new theory about FOMO though, we should not always be feeling that someone else is doing something better than us and we are missing out… we should just be living in the moment.

This means you have to start saying yes a lot more. I know this is not the easiest thing to start doing and I am not going to lie to you it is kind of hard in the beginning. But once you make that transition into saying yes you will not regret it at all. When your friends ask you to go out, to go to dinner, to come over and watch a movie, to go to the park, to go to a concert, whatever it is – do it. And if you are not convinced by now here are some more specific reasons you should say yes more.

1. YOLO.

I know this is the most cliché reason but it is completely valid. We only have one life to live so why not fill it with the most and best experiences we can. This is not only a reason to say yes but also a way to get yourself to say yes.

When someone asks you to do something and you have no reason to say no then YOLO should be the first thing that pops into your mind. There is nothing worse than saying no to doing something or going somewhere and then regretting it while you lay on your couch watching the entire series of Grey’s Anatomy for the umpteenth time. Sure in the moment you might be thinking “I do not want to go to some show with a band I have never heard of and do not care about,” or “I do not have any clothes or anything cute to wear I definitely do not want to get ready,” or even “I am too tired I do not want to talk to and interact with humans tonight.” Nope no no no, that is missing the point. Just go, have a positive attitude and I promise you that you will have fun.

2. Memories, stories, things to talk about and things to share with others.

You will not only make the best memories with your friends and loved ones but you will have stories to share with others. This could be with other friends, other people who have had similar experiences, or even your future children and grandchildren.

Believe me, it is so much more worthwhile to make memories than to spend your money on silly gifts or material items. Sure that purse or watch or shoes are really cool and everyone will think you are SoOoO chic and swaggy, but I would much rather spend a shit ton of money on going on an adventure, spending a weekend exploring somewhere I have never been, or trying something new. Believe me it is so much more worth it, you will not even like that bag or pair of shoes in like six months and you will wish that you spent that money on something way cooler.

3. New things!

Maybe the best thing about saying yes more often is that you get to experience new things. Whether this is a new restaurant, a new band, a new bar, or a new group of friends, you can now add it to your list of things you have tried. It is so much more fun to go to new places and try new things than to go to the same old boring bars and shows you always go to every weekend. Even if you do not think you will like it, try it anyways.

Sometimes you do not even realize you will like something until you try it out. Like that old saying don’t knock it til you try, well stick to that philosophy. I used to be adamantly against music festivals because I thought I would hate it and I did not even want to try anything remotely resembling it. Well then I went to one and had a blast and now it is something I enjoy and would love to do whenever I get the chance. So try new things and you never know maybe it will be your new favorite thing.

4. No Mo FOMO.

When you start saying yes more you will not feel like you are missing out on anything. It does not even matter if your friends are out doing something, if you are too then you guys can all share your awesome stories and appreciate them instead of being jealous or feeling like you missed out.

It is so much better to be able to swap stories and talk about all your adventures than to feel like you missed out because you said no to plans and stayed in.

“What did you do tonight?”

“Oh nothing, I said no to going out so I sat at home, watched Modern Family re-runs, ate a box of Cheez-its and a tub of ice cream, and went to bed at 10pm.”

Now I am definitely not saying that sometimes those nights are not needed. I stay home sometimes and lounge and watch movies and gorge my body with food I should not be eating but I do that a lot less often than I used to. I get it though, we all need a good ol’ body cleanse once in a while and to help our wallets revive themselves before our next big blow out but I stand by my point. You really will not feel like you are missing out on anything when you say yes to more things and get yourself to go out and do things more.

So try it out. Go to that show, go get drinks after work, go to that new bar or restaurant, and believe me you will not regret it. Saying yes to things more often only expands your life in the best way possible so you really are not losing anything here. Yes is a positive word it is a good thing, no is necessary at times too but your older self will thank you for saying yes and experiencing life while we are young and can. So YOLO and no more FOMO, get out there and say yes more!