How a Single YES Can Change Everything in Your Life

I think back to the times in my life when I said YES to myself, to something that called me and I can’t think of a time I regret.

Every YES was a game changer.

From writing a book and self-publishing, to launching a free email course to traveling across the country solo to attend an amazing conference and put my feet in the freezing Pacific Ocean for the first time.

I haven’t found one yes to lead me astray.

Think back to the times in your life when you said Yes — and by YES I am talking about the Brave Yeses, the kinda scary but liberating and exciting ones.

Not just any yes but the yeses that were meaningful, purposeful and expansive to your life and work.

As busy female founders and creatives, it’s easy to say no to ourselves.

We like our noes.

But, I have learned that saying yes can change everything.

And by that I don’t mean to other people’s yeses.

I mean to the deep desires that live inside of us.

When we give ourselves permission to explore our own brave yeses and say yes to ourselves, we’re opening the door to our own higher purpose, our own meaningful lives.

Why YES?

As female creatives, founders and entrepreneurs we are carrying so much more than our businesses and our creative work.

We’re holding a load of responsibilities and stress.

So if you’ve been hard on yourself for not being farther along … it’s not you. It’s the system. That’s why I’m on a mission with my Brave Yes Coaching Programming to help you offload some of YOUR stress by helping you rediscover your passion and your spark for life, for work, for art, for whatever brings you alive!

I believe working toward a YES is the single most important antidote to a lot of things: burnout, stress, the Land of Bitter and Sour, exhaustion, languishing, boredom etc.

Yeses come in all sizes, shapes and colors, which is what makes them so beautiful.

I also know that most female creatives sit on their true Brave Yeses for far too long and don’t take action.

Let’s change that for YOU.

What is a Brave Yes?

A Brave Yes can mean many things but ultimately it is a powerful action you want to take to become more alive, more aligned and more authentic in your way of being in this world.

These kinds of yeses are courageous and lead us often to a more impactful life or identity as well as bringing us a sense of meaning and purpose.

A Brave Yes may take years or months or weeks. It’s often not an overnight decision though it certainly can be at times, depending on the yes.

I have a client who was burned out by her business model and the hustle and grind and she ultimately decided that her first Brave Yes — we’re still working on others for her — was going to be to get a full-time job and run her business on the side.

This YES liberated her from the pressure of earning money so could get back to loving the creative work she loved. Her job pays her bills. Her business gives her meaning and purpose.

What is a Yes Project?

A Yes Project is a goal, a task, a project, a habit that you want to say YES to because it makes you happy, it lights you up, it brings you joy — or it should.

It’s easy to have a long list of projects laying around in our notebooks and planners, especially as CEOs and entrepreneurs. Sometimes these projects, though, are shoulds.

And Should Projects aren’t the same as YES projects.

Yes Projects often take time. They also aren’t done overnight and do require clarity, capacity and courage.

I have another client who loves to write and makes a living writing. So naturally she started a YES project that ultimately became added stress and pressure for her. Her first Brave Yes was letting that project go …

And what opened up to her was the space to think, dream and think about what she really wanted to do with her time. It opened up an opportunity for her a truly huge Yes Project — to write a novel.

I host bi-weekly Brave Yes Action Hour sessions for the members of my Brave Yes Community and our whole intention is to create space for our YES projects.

It’s time to Make an Offering to Yourself

We simply cannot keep crumbling to the pressures of the day and not make meaningful progress toward those things that bring us alive, or more wealth, more connection, more change that this world needs right now.

This is why last month I focused on capacity — and will continue to do so.

But we also need to have the courage to fight for what we know this world needs, what people need and how to lead and serve in a bigger, bolder way.

This is where your YES comes in.

Let’s build a YES movement.

I’m calling in right now a movement of action toward A Million YES Projects, founded by female creatives, entrepreneurs and visionaries unfolding in the next 10 years.

Yes, 1 Million in 10 years.

And I’m here to do my part, to help usher in these 1 Million YES Projects.

Because you have the vision to be the change this world needs, you have art this world needs, you have words the world needs, you have offerings the world needs.

An Invitation

Even if you’re tired, even if you’re exhausted — especially if you are burned out — I invite you to say yes to yourself and find a YES to light your path ahead.

I encourage you to create space in your calendar for your YES to start taking action on your YES.

Originally published at https://shawnfink.com on March 7, 2022. Join Shawn Fink’s Brave Yes CEO Newsletter here.