Monday, March 15, 2004

Monday Question

Do you say yes or no to life and living?

Another way of thinking about the question is also to look at approach/avoidance issues as defined by psych/counseling.

AllPsych dictionary
Three fundamental dimensions of personality

And yet another way is to look at the words in these articles below- but the question is open ended- create your own meaning for it.
~~
The thing is, I really like saying yes.
I like new things, projects, plans, getting people together and doing something, trying something, even when it's corny or stupid. I am not good at saying no. And I do not get along with people who say no. When you die, and it really could be this afternoon, under the same bus wheels I'll stick my head if need be, you will not be happy about having said no. You will be kicking your ass about all the no's you've said. No to that opportunity, or no to that trip to Nova Scotia or no to that night out, or no to that project or no to that person who wants to be naked with you but you worry about what your friends will say.

No is for wimps. No is for pussies. No is to live small and embittered, cherishing the opportunities you missed because they might have sent the wrong message.
~~
-- it's something that I wrote about
in the sort-of eulogy I wrote for my friend Rick, who died after the Bali bomb in 2002, something that he believed, and something I have believed for many, many years too. Say yes, say it again, sing it, scream it, or get out of the way, grandpa.

~~
Or this one from The Invitation:
"I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!!"