Say Yes

On June 3rd, Stephen Colbert gave a commencement address at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Among the humour and political commentary, he had this piece of advice near the end of his speech:

Now will saying “yes” get you in trouble at times? Will saying “yes” lead you to doing some foolish things? Yes it will. But don’t be afraid to be a fool. Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying “yes” begins things. Saying “yes” is how things grow. Saying “yes” leads to knowledge. “Yes” is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say “yes.”

Perhaps it's my current state of mind, but that part definitely resonated with me and I've had that phrase "say yes" repeating over and over in my head. Those two words are so simple yet powerful. I've made some decisions lately that have been based on taking a leap of faith and saying yes and instead of feeling anxious or afraid, I feel positively empowered.

I've come to realize that just because things are a certain way doesn't mean they have to remain that way. Sure, the "practical" thing might be to work at my stable, well-paying job and live in Edmonton and maintain my condo but that isn't necessarily what I HAVE to do. How freeing to give myself permission to shake up my life if I feel like it. And I think that I do feel like it. I already have some ideas in my head of how I'm going to approach the next six months. By early next year I suspect that things are going to be very, very different and instead of being frightened by uncertainty, I'm feeling pretty excited.