say yes more
After a chance encounter with a stranger who told him say yes more, Danny Wallace decided to do just that. The result of his experiment was published in a book aptly titled ‘Yes Man’. His quest for several months was to answer every question or invitation that could be answered with yes or no as yes. It resulted in quite a journey.
This may be the funniest book I’ve read since The HitchHiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and like Douglas Adams, Danny Wallace is British. Although the book is extremely funny, it is also quite profound, a wonderful examination of the possibilities and opportunities that exist for anyone willing to allow them to happen. Though he doesn’t discuss the deeper implications or philosophical ramifications of his actions, they’re easy to identify through his actions and the actions and reactions of those around him.
I find the book interesting on more than one level. At the beginning of the book, he describes himself and the general state of his life. I had to read it twice, and found myself asking which of my friends he’d been talking to in putting it together, though it’s not an exact match.
So reading this book has really inspired me. I’m not going to follow in his footsteps exactly - I’m not going to say yes to everything, though I am going to say it a lot more. It’s about going with the flow, seeing where life takes you, and being in the moment. It’s about being with and around people, about living life instead of plodding around, doing the same old things.
If you read the book, you’ll come across this phrase eventually - si a todo. Sounds like Danny mastered that, hopefully someday I will too.