Just Say Yes

A weird thing happened to me at work today.

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"... So Tash, we were wondering if you'd be able to pick up where the last blogger left off. How do you feel about taking it on?"

"...Er..."

"It's okay if you don't feel comfortable writing about that topic, I just wanted to know what you think?"

"I really don't think I'd be able to write about that topic with much authority. Sorry, it's a no on this one."

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Why is this weird? It's weird because I pretty much agree to do everything, all the time.

It's a combination of several things, the main one being the loose 'just say yes' policy I adopted a couple of years ago to open myself up to new experiences. Not wanting to disappoint others is a part of it I'll admit, but it's equally about me getting as much out of life as I possibly can during my brief time on this planet.

There are a few downsides to the 'just say yes' policy. The first obviously being that I barely have enough time to myself anymore because I'm always Doing Things, leaving little time to just 'be' and leaving me often quite tired- at work and just as much at home. The second main downside is that sometimes adopting this policy is a bit expensive when it comes to social activities. Just hopping on the train, driving around, taking a bus already costs money to get to the place before you've even paid for a ticket for anything: and of course this is London, so few things are cheap.

The upsides, however, greatly outweigh the downsides. I have had so much fun these past couple of years, and I have so much lined up for the future, still. I've visited some pretty cool places, experienced ridiculous things, made some new friends, re-connected with old friends, and spent time brushing up my creative skills in the kitchen and through blogging. One of the things I'm most proud of is doing some writing work for Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium (soon to be London's first cat cafe), helping with mailers, SEO, blogging and the like.

So I may be a little tired, at times even a little frantic to pack everything into a day- but I'm living rather than simply thinking about living, and that's the most important thing for me.

Still, even though today was a surprise break in my track record of willingness to do everything, it also reminded me that I can still stick to my guns if I need to, and say no occasionally.

Even if I only ever say 'no' once every few months.