All through lockdown, there’s been a sense of restriction of not being allowed to… No one wants to be told that they can’t do anything. I know I don’t. Over the years, I have seen me rebel quite strongly to the phrase ‘you can’t do this’. Yet when lockdown arrived, I complied.
Sure I went through a period of feeling pissed off that I couldn’t go and visit my mum or meet friends at the beach for tea and cake or shop in my favourite shops – they are not really favourite, it’s just that some shops have the things I prefer.
Having my freedom taken away has been quite a thing for me. As a young girl, when my dad said no, you have to be in at ten, I hated him. So much so that I’d wait for my parents to go to bed and climb out of the bedroom window. Once he was so mad, he smacked me around the head with an alarm clock. My memory is not so great, but it could have been one of the nights where I just sat outside of the house, just so I was not doing as I was told.
However, during this period, apart from the odd meltdown, I have stayed at home and stayed safe. I thought about what I could instead say yes to. How would it feel if instead of bucking the system, I focused on being grateful for all I had and what I could say yes to?
What about you what would it be like to see the world through new eyes, ask yourself, what can I say yes to today?
Remember the Universe is listening to you all the time and is ready to respond to your energy. What is it about not only your desires, but the small things that inspires you enough that you want to say yes, and you want the Universe to say yes too as well?
I believe saying yes and gratitude are intrinsically linked. When I am grateful for something and fully appreciate it, I feel differently, and I feel like saying yes to things. My perspective on the world alters, and my heart expands to receive more.
Before you move onto your yes list, remind yourself of at least three things that you appreciate at this moment. This morning as I write this, I can hear the birds, I love their morning song, it reminds me that the day will soon break and I can take the dogs for a walk. The early mornings are not so cold now, there will be a few dew drops hanging on the long grasses that line the path, and there is apart from Mother Nature, our feet crunching on the stony ground and the dog’s breath, silence.
On the bed Angel is curled up, I can hear the occasional sigh, Marley is on the floor, snoring and Ferdy is inside my bed. The three furry ones have kept me sane and smiling. Every day they remind of the joy of a simple life. A treat, a walk, a tickle and stealing a lick from my dinner plate. Their play and antics create miles of smiles in my heart.
Although I can’t see my mum, I chat with her every day. She is not as laid back like me, frets about the virus and all manner of things. She lives, unlike me, in a built-up area and is very restricted. She keeps herself occupied with her writing, watching TV and chatting on Whatsapp with friends. It’s good to hear her voice.
When I think of these things, it becomes easier to say yes and to allow the river of appreciation and yes to flow together through my life and heart.
What is on your YES list?
Make a list of everything that you would like to say YES to. I’m saying yes to:
- Morning cake and tea. The tea I love is hard to get right now, so I wait in anticipation for 11 am when I can have cake and my delicious white tea – bliss.
- Sitting in the field, watching the world go by while the dogs run around. I don’t have a garden, but very close to the house is a field and we go there for a break.
- To creating a video marketing course. I was invited to collaborate with a video creation company. While it at first seemed an odd thing to do, I have loved designing it so far. And it has made me focus on my marketing plan.
- Helping my friends with tech problems. I have been around tech all my life, and I forget how much I know and how easy it is for me to sort things out. It’s good to help.
- Wearing my best jewellery although there is nowhere to go.
I remembered that I had a gorgeous necklace and bracelet that was a gift some twenty years ago. I’d been taught to keep things for best, and so I rarely wore this. It had travelled with me through the iterations of my life. I even once tried to sell it when I was desperate for cash but chose instead to keep it. When lockdown arrived, I decided that life was too short to keep things for best, because today is always the best day.
Then there are the bigger things that I’d like to say yes to.
- Writing and publishing my first novel.
- Going on holiday to a far-flung destination. I haven’t been on holiday forever.
- A date. Yes, I am ready to date again – who knew?
When you have made your list, go and do them. And if they are things that seem a little out of reach, be open to receiving them so that the Universe knows what to create a pathway to for you. All the other things – go and do them. Also, say yes when you get asked to do something even if you feel like you don’t want to. You may not get asked again.
What can you say yes to today?
Today is a beautiful day to appreciate all that you have and to be open by saying yes to more.
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