How to Coach Yourself and Others Techniques For Coaching | Seite 454

3.48 THE POWER OF “YES”
For much of my adult life I’ve been shackled by fear. I’ve been
afraid to try new things, afraid to meet new people, afraid of
doing anything that might lead to failure. This fear confined me
to a narrow comfort zone.
Recently, however, I made a single small change that has
helped me to overcome my fear, and allowed me to get more
out of life. I began to note the things that I blocked and accepted.
To my surprise, I blocked things constantly — I made excuses
not to do things because I was afraid of what might happen if I
accepted.
I made a resolution. I decided that instead of saying “no” to
things because I was afraid of them, I would “just say yes”. That
became my working motto: “Just say yes”. Any time anyone
asked me to do something, I agreed to do it (as long as it
wasn’t illegal and didn’t violate my own personal code of
conduct). In the past six months, I’ve put this philosophy into
practice in scores of little ways.
Already the power of “yes” has made large changes to my life and
has exposed me to things I never would have done before. Some
of these, for me, were really big steps. These experiences were
new, and I wouldn’t have had them if I hadn’t forced myself to
just say yes.
Most of my experiences from my “just say yes” campaign have
been positive, but not all of them. I’ve had some failures, too.
Surprisingly, I’ve learned even more from the bad experiences
than I have from the good.
So, every time you think or say the word “No,” substitute the
word “Yes.” You will be amazed at the results. It immediately
creates positive energy. It shifts attitudes. It inspires creativity.
And it helps people feel safe, and maybe open up and tell you

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