Day 26.
YES is the centre of today’s Mandala and also the centre of our lives! We don’t need the dictionary to know the meaning of the word yes, it’s quite obvious. But I just wanted to know its origin and I found out that it comes from the old English word gese, loosely meaning “be it.” Or “may it be so “ ( This comes very close to Acceptance ! )
When you say Yes, you are opening yourself to countless possibilities that life is offering you. When we say Yes, we believe that we are inviting all positivity in our lives. So, saying Yes means inviting good health, a strong immunity, Harmony, Prosperity and so on. I think all of us have been reading a lot of posts affirming these positive qualities in the present times. But as I understand it, saying Yes does not stop just at these affirmations. It goes way beyond this to touch all aspects of our lives. Yes is a flowering of our being!
My own understanding of the word Yes is that “Apart from inviting Positivity, the two great virtues Acceptance and Humility are interwoven when We say Yes to something.”
Let me share a few of my experiences with saying Yes and No. Until a few years ago, I had difficulty saying an immediate Yes to any request. I would not be able to say Yes easily even if it didn’t require a lot of efforts for that work. On the other hand, Manoj would immediately say Yes to any request even if it meant going out of his way to fulfil that request. But as I started meditating, I came to realise that I was wasting a lot of energy by saying No unnecessarily . On the other hand, saying Yes was easy and saved my energy. It was especially true while working in the house e.g. cooking. Earlier, I used to be very rigid about how a particular work should be done. I was not open to any suggestions. But as I started saying Yes, I experienced that listening to others’ suggestions can actually be time saving and energy efficient at times, and of course, it helped to create a strong bond amongst us. So saying Yes has reduced a lot of Conflict in my life. Earlier, I used to feel guilty for having said No unnecessarily and also spend a lot of time justifying that No. Now all that time and energy is available to me for more constructive purposes.
My real test with saying Yes came when I was diagnosed with cancer in June 2014. But luckily for me, I could accept the diagnosis very easily. I had no questions like ‘why is this happening to me or why do we have to go through this’. I could unconditionally accept the diagnosis and was ready to face the difficult treatment. I had full trust in the Almighty and strongly believed that he wants me to go through this treatment for a particular reason. I could place myself in his hands and of course, the hands of my doctors and I never questioned anything that they advised. Even when things did not go in the ideal manner, I did not blame anyone. I could totally accept this as the will of God. Looking back now, I understand that this was the source of my strength. If I had wasted my time and energy fighting with the diagnosis or the treatment , I am sure I would have had difficulty coping with this strenuous and emotionally challenging period. Saying Yes i.e. Accepting the condition unconditionally led me to a positive outcome, at the same time permitting me to stay Positive and Cheerful throughout the period.
I remember reading a wonderful sentence some years ago, “If you accept some discomfort, your comfort Zone will increase.” This particular sentence has left a lasting impression on my mind and as I started following it , I have experienced that accepting a minor discomfort is easier for me now and my comfort zone has definitely expanded. Again, saying Yes to discomfort is profitable to me!
When I talk about saying Yes, it obviously does not mean that you allow people to exploit you or to take advantage of you. Also, if you strongly feel that you should not be doing a certain thing, listen to your heart and protect yourself. In those situations, it’s perfectly ok to say No!
Let us also remember that saying Yes also includes saying Yes to yourself; that is accepting yourself completely, as you are, without feeling guilty or ashamed of your shortcomings. This acceptance is essential for your Peace of Mind. And not just accepting yourself, but accepting your needs, accepting the fact that you need some ” Me-time”, accepting your needs of Relaxation….all these are a part of saying Yes!
For me, saying Yes has opened up a beautiful path of Joy and Peace ! And I hope and pray that you can find it too!
Love,
Anjali Bhatawdekar
P.S.: For the Puzzle lovers, can you find out how many times ‘Yes’ has been written in this Mandala?
