mirror ball 71: saying yes

I have never read "Ulysses" but I love the force of the notorious, full-hearted words spoken at the end by Molly Bloom:

...and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes

This month on the mirror ball, tell about a time you said yes (aloud, or in your heart) to something or someone. Did it change your life? Did you regret it, or have you never? Was it simple or difficult?

John S:
There are bigger "yes" moments in my life to write about -- pretty much all of them having to do with saying yes to big life-changing adventures with my husband. But a recent "yes" was notable for bringing me closer to a new role in life.

I'm just finishing a training program to become a yoga instructor. This past Saturday was supposed to be my "finals" day, to co-teach an entire hour-long class to REAL students and my instructors. This would also be my audition for an internship with the studio where I'm training. Alas, a big ice storm caused that class to be cancelled, and I was rescheduled for the following Wednesday. Cool, four more days to prepare.

Sunday the ice had abated a little, and I bravely drove to the yoga studio to support my fellow trainees in their teaching/audition classes. Well, surprise surprise, I and another fellow were the only to two teachers in training that were able to make it to the studio. My instructors said to me, "You're on!"

I faltered for maybe 3 seconds, and then said "Let me run get my iPod, so I can play the music I've put together for the class!" They smiled and called me awesome, and I hot-footed it to retrieve my music. I didn't even have time to be nervous, it was just, "Jump into your yoga pants and GO!"

The class was a great success. Afterward more than one student said they would not have guessed that my colleague and I were trainees, because we sounded so confident. My instructors were super-complimentary, and I ended the day feeling like my chances at getting the coveted internship were pretty darned good. We'll see. But the important thing is, it felt so good to see a door opening and just dive on through it. Landing in crescent lunge, no less.

Anna:
The skinny branches of life are the scariest. And the most rewarding. Saying 'yes' when you're out on the skinny branches is when life really takes off. I've said yes with my heart racing so many times in my life and this has enriched my life endlessly. A few 'yes' moments that have been defining for me as I swung out on the skinny branches include saying 'yes' to myself when giving myself the promise that I will honour my integrity and my self-value in every moment. It was scary to own my own value and my own power, it seemed arrogant even, but in time I found a life of real peace of mind and self-acceptance was waiting for me behind every 'yes'. Another defining 'yes' was to my fiance Gus. This 'yes' was agreeing to create a life partnership in which we would bring children into the world together, grow old together, and support each other in both of our commitments to making a positive difference in this world. This was a scary yes because the dream was so big, and my heart was racing because it felt so achievable with this incredible man by my side. Another recent 'yes' was agreeing to move to Melbourne, Australia, instead of Sydney where my family live. This yes was the first actualisation of Gus and my commitment, he has a difference to make with his family in Melbourne and this is really the first time that I'm able to stand by his side and support him in making this difference. And damn it feels good! We've now been in Melbourne for just one week now and so far so good! It's not always easy to get myself onto the skinny branches let alone to say 'yes' once I'm out there, but I've had so many rewards from doing so it's become quite addictive! So, wish me luck on my next 'yes' endeavour - who knows what it will be!

Heather:
When Jeff proposed…He was so excited he scrapped his plan & ran to his blazer, got the ring in its box, came back to the front porch, got down on one knee & said "I’m serious, I really mean this…Heather Marie Dahl will you be my wife" to which I was in shock, squeezed him, cried, and he said "this is a question I need a yes or no answer to" & I screamed "yes! yes! yes!". Best thing I’ve ever said "yes" to so far.

Richard S:

On saying YES...

I met him dancing at the Roxy.

He was handsome, beautiful, free.

I asked him home.

A week later, I realized he was far too young for me and I bid him farewell.

But I saw him again and again, as we danced our weekends away.

Still handsome, more beautiful and yes, indeed, free and boundless.

But too young, or so I told myself.

In a stairwell of the Limelight, he boldly asked me if I had a boyfriend.

My answer being no, he asked me 

Why are you alone?

Why are we not be boyfriends?

Ecstasy, Junior Vasquez, and his gorgeous face.

I said YES.

He taught me about art and love, food and company.

Space, discipline, kindness, effort, color, texture and compassion.

Allowing and not knowing.

He taught me patience, endlessly.

He offered me honesty, always.

I thank him and bow to him.

Every time I first thought NO, but then said YES, has proved a monumental shift in my life.

Shift meaning wide open expanse of possibility and purpose.

With your eyes open,

with your heart open,

say YES.

Small becomes Vast.

Tight becomes Space.

Dark becomes Light.

Steve:
I said "yes" to a tree last year.

I saw a photo in a magazine of a redwood tree with a wooden spiral staircase ascending around its trunk. I immediately loved it, but then I made an assumption-- the photo was in an article about adventure-vacation destinations, and I decided that the redwood zip-lining adventure mentioned in the article would be prohibitively expensive, something for a different class of folks. But that photo touched something in me and fortunately I realized what I was doing-- ruling out an experience before I even looked into it to find out the facts.

My assumptions were wrong. It was doable. A few months later, two friends and I sailed through the air from redwood to redwood, thrillingly, and climbed the spiral stairs up around the redwood. (My supportive and vertigo-fearing husband waited down on earth.)

It felt like I both recognized and was in love with that tree as soon as I saw it in the photo, who knows why. It doesn't matter why; I'm just elated that I said yes to that adventure.

Tanya:

Over the last five years I have become adept at leaning on my intuition to inform me, saying "yes" even when my mind is saying "what are you thinking?".This has changed my life in amazing ways. What I have learned through saying "yes" is the power that is inherent in the simple surrender to to will of the Universe. I know that there is something bigger than me that knows all, and that my thinking is only limited to my narrow scope of knowledge. If I rely only on that I might play small, but when I surrender to the universe and follow my intuitive knowing I am always guided to something magnificent and doors to opportunities I never imagined for myself. It is then that the potential for my life is infinite!

This happened when I created a collage of Obama just prior to his first election. A friend said "Tanya, you should do a piece of Obama" and I thought "why not, yes!". I did not know what I was creating it for, but along the way I was told of an exhibit called Manifest Hope in DC that was a part of the inaugural events, which featured artists’ interpretations of Obama. I contacted them and they included my piece in the show, and it is now included in a book called Art for Obama. Cool!

Another "yes" moment that changed my life occurred three years ago when I received a call from Francesca who I knew casually from the Agape International Spiritual Center. She was starting a Women's Ministry and would I be a part of it? My mind said "what? me? I am an artist…what do I know about a women's ministry? That is not my thing and I don't have time for that…". While this dialog ran through my head I heard my mouth say "yes". That yes has changed my life and opened me to parts of myself I was not acquainted with, and that I am now thrilled with! The ministry has grown and has given me the opportunity to develop my Art of the Soul workshops at our retreats. I am now in the process of writing a book based on ideas that have come from this experience along with my now dear friend, Francesca. Again…I have never written a book before, but the idea came into my head and said "Tanya, you need to write a book" and so I thought "okay, YES!" So here I am, walking my yes journey fearlessly, looking forward to what life has in store next. The possibilities are infinite!

John M:

My life-partner ambushed me with his marriage proposal. He arranged a trip with his family, (my in-laws) to the NY Museum of Natural History, which is always an ordeal with the two girls and my elderly mother-in-law and her motor scooter to get around. That got us out of the house for a good 5-6 hours, and unbeknownst several of my family and friends (including my favorite aunt and uncle from way upstate) gathered at our house on the back porch and waited for us to come home.

As the in-law family is always fun and wears me out, I was looking greatly forward to going home and taking a nap. However, twas not to be. When we got home and got out of the car, I could hear the doorbell ringing from the driveway. I wondered what was happening in my house. I ran to the front door and saw my best friend ringing the bell and said "what are you doing here?" He laughed and said, "I was just on my way to IKEA." I said "IKEA?"

Anyway, we went upstairs and I was steered to the back porch and as I got closer to the door I saw several people, all looking at me, smiling. When I passed through the door, I saw my aunt and uncle and my jaw dropped to the floor. In that moment I figured it out.

Xris, my now-husband, formally asked me to marry him, and my first response was (shock) and the words, "You're pretty sure of the answer, aren't you?" Everyone laughed. I finally was able to gather my wits and I tried to use Cher's words from "Moonstruck." "Yes, in front my family and all these people, I will marry you." Once the shock wore off there were many tears.