Say YES more
Hey friends
When I was younger I used to say Yes to everything. As I got older I slowly learned the power of saying no.
In that pursuit of self-respect and making the “logical” decision, I may have forgotten how beneficial it can be to say “yes” to things even when you are scared.
The power of saying YES
Lately, I have been forcing myself back into the habit of saying yes to most things, regardless of the FEAR side of my brain kicking in.
Everything from a slightly under-budget design project to a concert or even a trip to another country.
Growing up in a position where I could only say yes to things that made money not spent, put me into that mode for a while.
I was so scared of making any investment or expense that did not have a clear return.
That scarcity mindset can be good (but only up to a certain degree.)
Once you start living your whole life that way, you realize how many opportunities and experiences you miss.
As I’ve gotten more financially stable over the years from my career in both graphic design and content creation, I have started giving myself the freedom of saying yes more.
Saying yes to moving back to my hometown over a year ago now was a scary thing but I couldn’t have been happier with the choice.
I am now hanging with some of my best friends again and living a pretty comfortable life.
Reconnecting with my friends over here has gotten me back into my love of hardcore music and I went from saying no to so many concert opportunities to going to more than can fit in my schedule.
Time blocking between writing an email and seeing the band Mindforce is a hilarious juxtaposition in my Google calendar.
Saying Yes to more projects even when the budget isn’t quite there, has paid me in many other ways outside of just money.
It has allowed me to learn new things about myself and as a designer, make great relationships and build some long term connections that pay dividends down the road.
A random fun thing I said yes to recently was Duong’s coffee popup
One of the biggest things I said yes to earlier this year was going to Creator Camp.
It was this awesome camp/retreat-type thing with a bunch of talented creatives on the internet.
I was so scared to spend money on traveling there and being around a bunch of people I didn’t know, but it turned out to be one of the best experiences ever.
Coincidently I am at the second creator camp as you read this newsletter.
One of the best investments I made was going out of my comfort zone to hang out with new people who would become great friends.
It can take a while to learn how powerful it is to say “no” to things.
The beauty of that is how much opportunity you free yourself up for while not being bogged down by the stuff that drains you.
Sometimes though, you might not know which things are best for you.
In the journey of learning to say “no” try to learn from my mistakes and not forget the power of saying “yes”
Much love, glue.
What is something you were happy you said “yes” to recently?
Cool stuff to check out
Fav Design of the week below
Weekly Wrap Up
my secret for a successful graphic design career
New Poster Design
Thanks for reading!
I plan on keeping this newsletter free, but if you want to support, the best way is to buy me a coffee:)