I was reading an article in Vanity Fair or Total Film the other day. In it, Celine Song, director of “Past Lives” was telling readers how hearing a Yes led to her producing “Past Lives” film. This one Yes eventually opened the doors to carrying out her project.
I am fascinated with the concept of choice. And how saying Yes or No to an offer or opportunity can change the course of your or someone’s life.
Should I stay or Should I go?
Every day we are faced with choices. Should I eat my leftovers from yesterday, or should I get a take-away? What should I wear today? Should I watch another episode of “3 Body Problem” or maybe I should eventually go to sleep because it’s 1am!
You probably wouldn’t consider these mall choices as life-changing. Most of them aren’t, indeed. Saying Yes to a Thai take-away is hardly an invitation to an adventure 🙂 Although you never know!
The choices – and saying Yes or No at some key moments – that fascinate me are those that in hindsight have changed the course of your life.
I’ve had two choices like that in my life – two situations when someone made an offer and I said Yes to it.
Both of these choices required that I trust myself infinitely, and throw myself into a world of unpredictability. In each case, the saying Yes meant leaving my home country.
Are you ready? Are you scared?
If you asked me back when I was faced with my choices if I was ready for them… I actually would say Yes. I was ready for the adventure that was unfolding in front of me.
For some reason as well, I wasn’t scared. I think my parents were more petrified than I was. I had this feeling that I would just see how things would turn out. It wasn’t even a defined self-confidence. I was just calm and ready for what the adventure would bring.
The first Yes meant I lived and studied in Belgium for four months. To this day, these are the best months of my life. (I wrote about it in this blog if you’d like to find out more)
The second Yes meant leaving everything and everyone behind, and plunging myself into a whole world of New. New country – the UK, new job, new people, even a new way of travelling – I flew for the first time ever. I said this Yes 20 years ago. And it’s been one of the most impactful decisions of my life, unsurprisingly.
What if I said No…?
Celine Song and myself were presented with an offer and opportunity some time ago. Both of us could have said No to them.
I sometimes mull over what my life would look like, had I said No to Belgium and UK opportunities. Those ruminations are for a different post 🙂
However, this is what I’m driving at. We are presented with opportunities that we either expected or not. Sometimes we have hardly the time to think them through (this was the case with me saying Yes to UK offer). Do you jump in and embrace the new, unknown, and unpredictable? Or do you retreat and stay where you are – for any reason?
Have you ever said No to an opportunity that you wish you had said Yes to?
There is a saying that the world belongs to the brave. I disagree. It sounds like if you’re not brave then you are missing out on stuff. You need to be brave to make the most of what the world has on offer. Not quite fair.
You’ve got this.
I believe the world belongs to those who are willing to give something new a go, even if they don’t feel brave or ready. Or if they are scared. The world belongs to those who are curious about the next step, next chapter, however scared or not ready they are.
The universe and life presents an infinite number of options to you on a daily basis. What if you said Yes when your initial reaction is to say No to them?
You’re often one Yes away from your next adventure. Whether this is going for a job that is not your usual choice, living in a different country, or making a film that moves people around the world. Or sometimes the adventure may be trying a different cuisine 🙂
So will you say Yes to a new adventure?
Have you said Yes to an opportunity that turned out to be life-changing?
Feature image credit : Entertainment Weekly (Amy Poehler’s book)