Driving Principles

Lessons Learned on the Road of Life

YES!

“How many of you think that maybe you’ve said “Yes” to too many things when you should have said “NO”? Yeah, me, too. Except…. as I’ve grown older… or should I say as I’ve “matured” – I’ve found that there are many more times I wish I had said “Yes”! I think that if you look back in time with me, you just might agree that more often than not, saying “Yes” leads to a lot more fun!

And I’m not talking about having been divorced twice….

Because even those relationships had a lot of “Yes” that felt pretty good! I got married because I said “Yes” to love! And even though things didn’t work out SO well, they did work for quite a while – 16 years each time.

But more recently, as I found myself with a lot more time on my hands, I started to get out in public more and meeting more people than I used to meet. A couple of summers ago, I started going to Alive at Five”. A Toastmaster invited me to volunteer to serve beer in the beer tent.

I said “Yes.”yes-man1

I was pointed to a tap in the back of the tent. I grabbed a plastic cup and pulled a beer. It had about an inch of foam on the top. “That’s no good” she said. “Try again.”

I did try again, and managed to only get about ¾ of an inch of foam on the next one.

“That’s no good” she said. “Why don’t you move up front to the tables and wait on people. I said “Yes.”

I had a lot of fun chatting with people and taking the wood tokens for beers. There was great music playing and I started dancing around a little. Did I mention that we were allowed to drink for free?

That’s when Sue Ferrin spotted me dancing, and said “You should be in Dancing with the Stars.”

I said “Yeah, right. Sign me up.” She did!

That’s how I found myself dancing in front of more than 600 people on the stage at the Civic Center! And, Yes, I had a great time! I made new friends ! AND… I got a trophy!

That’s when another Toastmaster sent me an e-mail about the “Red Eye Tens.” She said “You like to do this kind of stuff, you should try it.”

I said “Yes.”

I found myself with a script in my hand at 9:00 am the next Saturday morning, learning the lines of a ten-minute play along with others who had said “Yes.” Our group memorized all the lines when we put the play on for the public at 7:00 pm that same night! And YES, I wasn’t too bad! I had a lead role in the play and I thought I did pretty well! As a matter of fact, Michael Gilboe, director of Performing Arts at UGF – the guy who had arranged for the Red Eye Tens production – said to me afterwards “You were pretty good. You have a voice that projects well. Can you sing, too?”

I said “Yes.” I didn’t say I could sing well…..

“You should try out for the musical South Pacific when it comes up.”

“I said “__ __ __.”

I went to tryouts in the Green Room at the back of the stage area. I was handed a script to read lines from. I didn’t do too badly. Then I was told it was time to sing. Well, I hadn’t exactly prepared for that. And this time we went into the music room where there were a LOT of other people. I thought about running, but I didn’t.

I sang. “Some Enchanted Evening…..”

I didn’t need to finish. The Director said “That’s enough.”

I said “__ __ __.”

But I got a part playing Commander Harbison! And as rehearsals got underway, I met a lot of awesome people and made new friends – I drank with some of them last night – and next week are dress rehearsals and the show starts April 11th!

Did you ever notice how one thing leads to another? Some people say that there’s a woman to blame…. But I know….

It’s all about saying “YES.”

So like Jim Carrey in the movie YES Man – just say YES! You never know where you’ll end up, but you’ll most likely make new friends and have a YES of a time!

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