Saying Yes To Life

One of the more powerful lessons I’ve learned is embarrassing to confess, but here goes:

Life isn’t about me— it’s the other way around. I am about life. 

That may sound obvious, but who doesn’t structure their lives around their dreams, ambitions, and desires? Progress doesn’t happen on its own. 

Which explains why I’ve been slow on the uptake.

Age probably helped. With time, I discovered that I can’t control everything. Besides, it’s becoming clearer every day that my life is ephemeral. Life moves on. 

Coming to this realization changed a lot of things, including my thoughts about death (previously feared). It also presents a challenging decision: Where do I set the boundary between struggling with circumstances (mentally or otherwise) and saying yes to life and relaxing into its flow?

That’s a question that all of us must wrestle with sooner or later.  It’s not an easy one to answer. Saying yes to life requires acceptance, which is a superpower. Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer is the often-cited gold standard:

“God, grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change, 

Courage to change the things I can, 

And wisdom to know the difference.”

For me, that works better for a needlepoint than an action plan. 

I prefer the simpler advice offered by holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl: “Saying yes to life.”

I’ve turned this into a question I frequently ask myself— 

Am I saying yes to life?

The answer points me in a direction that triggers a causal chain: Thoughts become words; words become actions; actions become habits; habits become character; and character becomes destiny.

Here’s what I’ve found:

-When expressing negativity, I’m saying no to life.

-When my emotions are driven by whether I get my way, I’m saying no to life.

-When not actively caring for my physical, mental, and Spiritual health, I’m saying no to life.

Conversely, when I practice acceptance of things I can’t control, I am saying yes to life!

-When I prioritize balance, I’m saying yes to life!

-When I welcome the gift of presence, with gratitude rather than judgment, I am saying yes to life.

It’s a simple question, with profound implications.

For a good portion of my life, I was like that ant, floating downstream on a log, thinking I was driving— until it became clear that I wasn’t. 

Better late than not at all!

How about you? 

Are you saying yes to life?

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Each Sunday, I post a topic relevant to the pursuit of a life well-lived. I define that as happiness that is resilient in the face of difficult circumstances, seeing where we “fit in,” and feeling accepted just as we are. You can subscribe to my latest posts by filling out your email address at the bottom of this page. 

My new book, The Secret Within, shares learnings on finding happiness amidst personal difficulties. Check it out on Amazon.

Former blog posts can be found here by subject category and here in chronological order. 

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