Say Yes, Say YES Until Flower Petals Drop From Your Lips and Scatter at Your Feet, Creating a Beautiful Wake Everywhere You Go

Summer Camp Week 9. What if saying "yes" without the second guessing is more R&R'ing that you could ever imagine?

Aug 14, 2024

Summer Camp is opening its doors to all subscribers for its final month, for anyone who could use an extra dose of re-imagining R&R during these lively times. You can catch up on past posts here. And welcome!

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Hello Beautiful Summer Campers,

Last week we rolled around in moratoriums, gifting ourselves a hall pass or three on an activity we could really use a break from. So far I have two going: 1) No online shopping especially from Amazon, which is a bit confronting (can I do it??), but it releases time for other activities and noodling, and 2) being of two minds/a foot in two camps—this freedom from ping-ponging to see what else could be true/possible transitions nicely into what we’re doing today.

Tell us how about your summer moratorium, what are you taking a break from?

This week, say YES

Let’s imagine we are blowing one beautiful kiss into the world every time we say “yes” to an invitation that might exalt the senses in some delightful way.

What does Yes have to do with R&R-ing?

We’re not just going to RSVP YES, we’re going all in. There will be no overthinking it, circling back on ourselves, wondering if it’s a good idea, or how we might amend things. The wobbling around on upcoming plans that happens over here—should I/shouldn’t I/will I have fun/will I be tired/how can I get out of it—is not restful or relaxing to the nervous system.

So what’s our favorite word this week?

Oui, Oui!

This week, and all the way to Sept 10, the last day of Summer Camp, let’s relax into RSVP-ing YES, and go all in, follow those Yeses through.

Big yeses, small yeses, quiet yeses, loud yeses.

If you’re an over-doer, rather than an under-doer, you might be asking:

“But I already say too many Yeses. I need to say more No’s! I need to bodysurf the waves of moratoriums for weeks!”

Then do that. Keep the moratoriums going, streamline activities, create more cross breeze in your life, and while doing so, ask yourself:

What is being said Yes to in those No’s and Time Off’s?

“No’s” can be big beautiful Yeses – to quality time alone, to daydreaming from a favorite chair, to a night at home ordering in take-out, to giving attention to bringing to life an idea, a trip, a project, a ______ you’ve been talking about and thinking about for a while now.

What if I don’t know if it’s a Yes should be a No?”

If you’re worried that a Yes will tip you into exhaustion or some other kind of unbeautiful state, RSVP with a “maybe”, or even a “can I get back to you.”

My mind often goes squirrelly and tantrum-y right before a Yes event. Before almost every dinner, party, concert, arts outing—my husband watches me mutter how much I can’t wait to get home, how I don’t really want to go, I’m tired, blah blah blah.

“That’s what you say every time,” Steve laughs, “and then you go and have so much fun you can’t leave and you talk about it for days.”

IT’S TRUE!

Does this happen to you, too?

These days I play this little game with myself. I say:

“Self. Let’s see if it’s true. Is it better for me to stay home and eat dinner, watch a show, read, and go to bed for the 99th time in a row, or will that run/walk/lake dip/dinner out/concert/reading be more fun than I think it could be in the moment?

The answer, NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF THE TIME is YES, the run/walk/lake dip/dinner out/concert/seeing friends always adds to the life vibe.

And sometimes I say No, because I’m saying Yes to R&R-ing my energy level back to health so I can say Yes the next time around.

Q: Are you more inclined to (want to) say YES or NO to invitations?

Beauty Hunter

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