{"id":396,"date":"2010-09-02T00:39:34","date_gmt":"2010-09-02T07:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/?p=396"},"modified":"2011-01-26T00:56:38","modified_gmt":"2011-01-26T05:56:38","slug":"just-say-yes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/?p=396","title":{"rendered":"Just Say Yes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Cages or wings, which do you prefer?\u00a0 Ask the birds.<\/p>\n

Fear or Love, baby?\u00a0 Don’t say the answer.<\/p>\n

Actions speak louder than words.”<\/p>\n

~ Jonathan Larson – “Louder Than Words” Tick, Tick …Boom! <\/em>~<\/p>\n

(click here<\/a> for video)<\/p>\n

\u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665<\/p>\n

“Doesn’t it all go by in a blink?” ~ William Parrish Meet Joe Black<\/em><\/p>\n

Life is…Strong.\u00a0 Spontaneous.\u00a0 Purposeful.\u00a0 Precious.\u00a0 Loving.\u00a0 Joyful.\u00a0 Fleeting.\u00a0 Fragile.\u00a0 Beautiful.<\/p>\n

It seems yesterday I was a gawky, zealous six year old awkwardly scrambling up trees tracing animal shapes in cottony clouds.\u00a0 Seemingly overnight stars transitioned from wishing vehicles to the methodology by which one determines suitable hotels and restaurants.\u00a0 Carefree days became angst-filled teen years, the precursor to identity-shifting adulthood.\u00a0 Decades evaporated in a blink.\u00a0 Confidence became caution.\u00a0 Playfulness became purpose.\u00a0 Dreams became disappointments.\u00a0 Letting go became holding on.\u00a0 Yes became no.<\/p>\n

Children are naturally inclined to say and believe in “Yes”.\u00a0 Yes, I can fly.\u00a0 Yes, let’s play.\u00a0 Yes, let’s pretend.\u00a0 Yes, we are friends.\u00a0 Yes, I will be president.\u00a0 An abandoned refrigerator box becomes a spaceship, a clubhouse, an automobile …a dreammobile.\u00a0 Possibilities are everywhere dripping from the vine of life ripe for the picking.\u00a0 Parents and authority figures say, “You can do and be anything you desire.”\u00a0 That is, of course, until we don our superhero cape crafted from the dining table fine linen as we leap from the second-story window onto the trampoline and into the pool believing we are saving the world in a single bound.\u00a0 We grow into adults and become inundated with rules and restrictions “for our own good”.\u00a0 We censor ourselves to please parents and teachers.\u00a0 We edit ourselves to be more acceptable to friends.\u00a0 We abbreviate ourselves for the workplace.\u00a0 We numb ourselves for relationships.\u00a0 We become alternate versions of ourselves confused by own life choices as we wake up one morning wondering how we got here<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Film has a beautiful ability to transport us outside ourselves offering us the opportunity to witness ourselves more clearly as we identify with colorful characters on the screen.\u00a0 “The Boys Are Back”, is an endearing film in which Clive Owen plays Joe Warr, a widower, raising his son alone.\u00a0 Joe vacillates between licking his own wounds and nurturing his son.\u00a0 The movie speaks to the unpredictability of life, the vulnerability of asking for help, and is a sweet reminder that we are all doing the best we can with who we are and what we’ve got.\u00a0 The vastness and infinite capacity of the human heart to Love intermittently weaves tenderness and truth throughout reminding us that life is a dish best served living passionately and wholly.\u00a0 Colorfully scrawled across Joe’s refrigerator a child’s alphabet magnets spell, \u201cJust Say Yes”. The phrase cleverly referenced from a youthful perspective suggests it is the openness of youth that fully embraces the “Yes, Life” philosophy.<\/p>\n

“Just Say Yes.”<\/p>\n

Yes is …bursting with possibility, exciting, exhilarating, freeing, invigorating, life-altering, rejuvenating and wonderful.<\/p>\n

How easily we become engrossed in the busyness of life convincing ourselves it’s really living.\u00a0 Budgets, errands, housework, obligations, and projects occupy thoughts and create an infinite “to do” list.\u00a0 How quickly our feathers ruffle in petty squabbles with family members, friends, and coworkers.\u00a0 How much we ponder inadequate thoughts of “if”, “then”, and “when”.\u00a0 If<\/em> it works out, then<\/em> I’ll be happy. I’ll be happy when<\/em>… How much time we invest in distracting ourselves from really listening to our hearts.\u00a0 How quickly we abandon our dreams for practical choices that later require us to devise some elaborate escape from our self-crafted birdcage.\u00a0 How willingly we mire ourselves in nonsensical things that in the end amount to little more than distractions.\u00a0 How guilty we feel for indulging in life’s pleasures, in savoring moments, convincing ourselves we should be more …more efficient, more organized, more successful, etc..\u00a0 We sacrifice adventure and whimsy for the “known” because we’ve convinced ourselves change is somehow unnatural or negative.\u00a0 We become hypnotized by fear, holding on to our illusions about self and the world, nervous about change, pruning and miniaturizing our wings like bonsai trees.<\/p>\n

How quickly our priorities shift when there is a perceived loss of some sort.\u00a0 The sudden removal of someone or something from our lives seems to open wide a vast chasm for self-introspection into which we either delve deeper for a closer view or recoil abruptly horrified.\u00a0 Loss is a license to drop the veil, to cast away illusions, to allow ourselves to just be.\u00a0 Powerlessness and mortality are met by divinity us staring squarely in the face, asking, “Now what?\u00a0 Now that you know, what will you choose?”\u00a0 We have the opportunity to choose faith or fear.\u00a0 Faith is claiming our desires, professing our blessings, proclaiming our championship with tangible results to appear only after our leap.\u00a0 Fear magnifies the worst-case scenario with all the grit and gore of a scary movie, rooted in the identity-crisis, “who will I be if this happens?”\u00a0 Fear is only no, and faith is always yes.<\/p>\n

Every event offers an opportunity – the opportunity to decide the meaning we will attach to it.\u00a0 The meanings we choose formulate our thoughts, which generate feelings that power actions to form habits and become the character that ultimately determines our legacy.\u00a0 I’ve begun thinking about the legacy I am creating every day and what will remain behind when I am no longer in this physical body.\u00a0 I used to choose based on what I’d hoped others would think of me. Lately, I’ve been asking myself what I’d like the movie of my life to be.\u00a0 How am I investing my time, resources and energy?\u00a0 What type of person am I choosing to be?\u00a0 Am I being a blessing in the world?\u00a0 I’ve moved from reacting to responding and recognizing my opportunity to plant Love seeds every day.<\/p>\n

It seems that what goes by in the blink of our life is Love.\u00a0 Love usurps the logical and rational.\u00a0 It mystifies and mesmerizes.\u00a0 It is the stuff of epic novels and love songs.\u00a0 Love is fodder for fantasy and miracles.<\/p>\n

Love is… the only legacy.<\/p>\n

Just Say Yes.<\/p>\n

\u00a92010 Susan Stackpole\u00a0 www.susanstackpole.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665<\/p>\n

Care to use this article for your e-zine or newsletter?\u00a0 Please include the following<\/p>\n

Susan Stackpole<\/strong>, certified creative consultant <\/strong>and results expert, <\/strong>is the #1 coach <\/strong>for celebrities<\/strong>, VIPs<\/strong>, and people serious about getting results<\/strong> and living their best lives<\/strong>.\u00a0 Are you ready to ignite your potential<\/strong>, jump-start your success<\/strong>, and achieve quick, effect results while living your dreams<\/strong>?\u00a0 If so, please visit www.susanstackpole.com<\/a> where you\u2019ll find free resources for living your best life<\/strong>.\u00a0 While you\u2019re there, sign up for the monthly newsletter, which includes celebrity tips<\/strong> for manifesting destiny in style<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 Contact Susan<\/a> today for more information on mapping your destiny<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Cages or wings, which do you prefer?\u00a0 Ask the birds. Fear or Love, baby?\u00a0 Don’t say the answer. Actions speak louder than words.” ~ Jonathan Larson – “Louder Than Words” Tick, Tick …Boom! ~ (click here for video) \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 ~ \u266b ~ \u2665 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,3,25],"tags":[32,30,33,34,35,36,38,37,39,40,43,432,41,7,27,42,31],"class_list":["post-396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faith","category-love","category-possibility","tag-childhood","tag-clive-owen","tag-courage","tag-daring","tag-dreams","tag-film","tag-happiness","tag-imagination","tag-joy","tag-just-say-yes","tag-legacy","tag-love","tag-movies","tag-passion","tag-possibility-2","tag-risk","tag-the-boys-are-back"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=396"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":405,"href":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396\/revisions\/405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/susanstackpole.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}