David Patterson has been a personal friend of mine for the past few years. Recently we got together over a cup of coffee where he asked me, “What is this 30 Days of YES thing all about?” By the end of our time together he decided he wanted to do the program, but 
wanted something to help keep him accountable. Together, we came up with the idea of having him go through the 30 Days of YES e-book program while keeping track of his progress on his blog. The following is an excerpt from David’s blog about his 30 Days of YES journey.
Each week I will be posting highlights from Dave’s journey.
So What If The Light Hasn’t Turned Green Yet?
I will give you an example of how 30 Days of Yes thinking helped me the other day as I prepared for a meeting. The old me would have come up with a long list of obstacles and impossibilities as to why this opportunity won’t have positive results or won’t be right for me. I should back up for a second though. I am a very positive person when it comes to helping others and doing work that is assigned to me. I’m results-oriented. In general, I am a very positive person. But, what I have come to grips about myself, as I go through the 30 Day activities, is that I find reasons why I can’t do or accomplish something personal — something “I” want to do. Now back to the meeting. Right before the meeting, I reflected on what “yes” means. Again, “yes” in 30 Days of Yes doesn’t mean, “yes” I will try everything (no roller coaster rides for me please or bungee jumping), or “yes” I will do whatever you say. “Yes” means allowing yourself to see that whatever you want to do is possible. It means thinking about why you are able to accomplish something.
As I prepared for my meeting, I listed all the reasons why this opportunity would be a positive move for me and all the reasons why this opportunity would be positive for the person I was meeting with. With that approach, it turned out to be one of the best and most relaxing meetings I have had in a while. I felt confident. I communicated my thoughts in this meeting in an organized fashion and most of all I am not worried about the outcome.
If you would like to read his full posts, click here to go to his blog.
Aye! (thought ‘yes’ might be getting tired here and want a break . . . .)
You know what really landed for me? Dave’s distinction of what Yes meant for him in the 30 Days of Yes context. I appreciate that he’s clear it doesn’t mean he needs to indulge every extreme wish or challenge. It’s true, Yes is aligning with what is most meaningful for you — and not shying away from it.
Thanks Dave — and thank you Travis for bringing us Dave’s journey –
Evan