the Automatic Yes

We live in a world bounded by constraints and limitations. I often find myself frustrated by limitations on my resources. I never seem to have enough free time to devote to my goals. There are many things I would like to do if I only had a bunch of money.

This is the nature of reality.

It is a fascinating fact, however, that we actually impose mental constraints on ourselves which are far more limiting than these physical constraints.

When we react with defensiveness, fear, pessimism, or cynicism, we are mentally constructing arbitrary limits on ourselves and those we live, work and play with. These limits put a crimp in our creativity, relationships, and potential. They build walls, oppose teamwork and may even work directly against our goals.

A friend of mine who is involved in improvisational theatre once told me a very important secret, "the golden rule of theatre sports".

ALWAYS SAY YES!

Yes opens minds. Yes opens doors. Yes creates opportunities.

Specifically, in theatre-sports, Yes allows creative ideas to flow synergistically by creating alignment between the actors and building an atmosphere of positivity. When all the actors use the Yes mentality they are all open to the dynamic of the dramatic situation, which allows the situation to build momentum and progress naturally into hilarious theatre.

The same is true in every situation, from the boardroom to the bedroom, from the soccer field to the mission-field. When you begin to use an automatic yes, you break out of the normal cynical or defensive patterns of behaviour, and you begin to shake off the limitations imposed by those behaviours.

This is not to say that Yes is always the best answer. Not all ideas are good ones. Decision making is certainly more complicated than “one answer fits all”. When we embrace Yes, we begin to think in a positive manner. Run Yes scenarios through your mind first, before running No scenarios. Run best case and worse case scenarios. Use realistic probabilities. Factor in side-effects. Yes always has multiple positive side-effects. Often these positive side effects will add up to a greater positive net effect than even the worst possible negative direct effect.

Blessings, Kenneth Goudsward

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