Discover the World of Yes

Posted on Sep 7th, 2009 by

Cynthia Sue Larson

"yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
(skillfully curled)
all worlds"
- e. e. cummings

When I was a teenager, I was surprised one day when a neighbor I had not previously met visited our home to ask my mother if she had teenage daughters who might be friends with her daughter. This middle aged lady had such a kindly face and sincere voice that any initial doubts on my part vanished before having a chance to fully arise. I was so positively impressed with this woman who had introduced herself and extended such a lovely invitation, that I immediately said, "Yes, I would love to meet your daughter!" I followed Joan directly back to her house to meet her charming daughter, who has now been one of my dearest and best friends over the past thirty years.

How can we know when we say "Yes!" to an opportunity, what may happen next? How could we even begin to guess what hidden worlds of possibility might unfold? There truly is something magical in the word "Yes," as it invites feelings of acceptance, recognition, appreciation, invitation, and connection. Barriers fall away like leaves in the breeze, and worlds of possibility open in ways previously unimaginable. "Yes!" is a word we can say to ourselves, and in so doing, open up new worlds we otherwise might never imagine.

I was with my childhood friend this month when we experienced some of the many joys in the worlds of "Yes!" We met a peregrine falcon named Thyme, heard his song, gazed into his jet black eyes, and saw him flap his wings to show off his fabulous wingspan. We both played the banjo for the first time... and I enjoyed creating a banjo song that the shopkeeper referred to as "trance banjo." We held museum quality antique Roman coins and artifacts, had lovely conversations with strangers, sang songs, and danced. If you could live every day saying "Yes!" just a bit more often, how much more enriched could your life feel?

I have been giving "Yes!" a lot of thought this month, as I discovered a book that will clearly be a classic in its field, Learned Optimism. When I took psychology classes at UC Berkeley many years ago, I was deeply impressed by studies I read about dogs that became helpless after experiencing situations they had no control over. As it turns out, one of the researchers involved in these early studies, Martin Seligman, was one of the researchers who first saw the significance of these experiments in helping identify root causes and possible solutions for helplessness and depression. Seligman discovered that just as we can feel helpless and depressed, so too are we capable of learning cognitive skills that provide us with the power to become resilient and remain hopeful. Optimism can be learned, and can be taught... and I am thinking that this just might be one of the greatest findings of our time.

Could you use some positive encouragement on your recreation journey? Please stay in touch with me on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. I began posting short YouTube summaries of the May, June, July, and August RealityShifters ezines and even a song about Karen Kimball, and plan to keep posting new videos each month.

Wishing you may discover just how good your life can be and has been,
Cynthia Sue Larson

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