The Year of YES

 

     “The Year of YES”

 

The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek word “entheos” which means the God within. And the happiest, most interesting people are those who have found the secret of maintaining their enthusiasm, that God within.

Earl Nightingale

 

 

 

I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions.  They feel punitive and self-defeating to me and they always seem to imply we inherently feel we are doing something wrong and must fix ourselves.  I no longer subscribe to this self-flagellating ritual, doomed to fail that sets a tone of defeat at the beginning of every year.  What I do subscribe to is a theme for the coming year, a mantra of sorts.  Think of it as a gift you give yourself.  I have decided that 2022 will be my year of YES.  This year I plan to say “yes” more… to healthy things.

For example, I was doing karate up until I went into rehab in July.  I came out of rehab in August and have been slowly rebuilding my life.  I have not wanted to over-load myself since.  My schedule felt in balance for a while and work felt right etc.  Then last week, after a number of attempts to encourage me to come back, the karate instructor reached out to me again and asked if I would be interested in coming back in January.  I said “yes”.  I moved my work schedule around a little so I won’t sacrifice any of the meetings I regularly attend, and I said yes.

I have a new group of friends and we are determined to keep each other connected and have fun doing it.  We have a list of things to do when we need a pick-me-up, things to look forward to that we can pepper our calendar with throughout the year.  I am the keeper of the list and it contains things like axe-throwing and snow-tubing.  We have gone bowling and to a hockey game and had a Friendsgiving dinner.  I have to get it together now the holidays are over and start figuring out what the next thing will be, but these are all things to say YES to!

I figure if it isn’t something toxic for me and I can reasonable afford to do it, I will say yes to it.  I have already joined a book club and love that I have.  Life is already richer for it.  I have more things to look forward to, more connections have been made, more conversations have been had and more smiles have come across my face and I suspect many more will come.  Memories will be made and laughter will likely be had.  All this by uttering a three letter word.  Yes.

While I was in rehab, there was a lady there who had an infectious laugh.  She was one of those people who had a large presence but came in a small package.  She was always impeccably dressed and I asked her one day how many outfits she had brought with her (I had about four changes of clothes for 30 days).  She had brought two large suitcases with her and had coordinating jewelry for every outfit.  She told me, “If I have to be here, I’m going to look good doing it”.  This lady was going to meet me at a meeting the weekend before Friendsgiving and did not come.  She was supposed to come to Friendsgiving but did not come.  There were other meetings and events I am sure that she did not get to over the following weeks.  Places she was supposed to be, people she was supposed to meet up with and did not.  The day after Christmas she got into a car accident related to this terrible illness we share and she passed away.  I can’t help but think there were so many yesses she did not say over those weeks that might have helped steady her.  So many yesses that might have given her a little more strength, yesses that might have given her the connection and hope she needed.  She is sorely missed.  Her funeral is on Friday and I will be there to honor the space she filled on this earth and the laughter we shared.

Say “yes” this year and see what it brings into your life.  I’m going to.

AFTERTHOUGHT:  On New Year’s Eve I had dinner with a good friend.  Over dinner we broke open Christmas crackers (poppers here in the states).  The silly paper hats, the stupid dad jokes, the “prizes” (neither of us got the shoe horn) and charades.  I don’t think I have had that much fun doing charades with just two people before!  Then I offered up the idea that we could make shrink dink key chains…  Because why not?  He said yes to that as though it was one of the most natural things in the world for two adults to do on New Year’s Eve.  So we did.  I think we were of that generation for whom shrink dinks were one of the mysteries of the universe…  There was nothing like watching your master creation curl up via the light of the oven lamp and then flatten out as is shrinks to 75% of its original size to a hardened version of its paper self!  Turns out it is just as miraculous when you are 48 and 50.  So I think it is important to surround yourself with friends who say “yes” too.