just say YES.

_{A few days ago when flying back to Los Angeles from my hometown of Portland, Oregon, I came across a book in Powell's Bookstore with the unusual title of "Yes Man". At first glance, I saw the photography of what looked to be real people and thought, "Is this a true story?". Now being the somewhat-avid reader I am, I can be extremely selective about what books I choose to read. I tend to lean toward comedies, inspiration [my latest newfound fascination is the story of Ghandi.] and those particular books that jump out at me and stay in my mind for years to come. I turned the book over, looking at my sidekick to make sure I was still alright on time, I had 5 minutes before my plane began boarding so I stole a quick look, and with one sentence, decided it was a chance I was willing to take. I ran to the counter, gave her my cash and sprinted to the gate just in time to board. Not 5 minutes after I was seating in 9A next to a balding businessman and his sandwich (which was, through the entire flight, the cause of my growling stomach), I had opened the book and began a journey into a place I thought I would never find.}

_{I had been on vacation in Portland, or home as i like to call it, after 3 months of being here in Los Angeles. I moved here just a few months back to start over, to officially start a new chapter of my life. My father passed away mid-last year and shortly thereafter, changes started to occur that I wasn't sure how to handle. My family moved on, I moved in with my sister and brother in law, and slowly but surely I began to move on as well. I met my boyfriend Jason in July and through bumps and shuffles, we stayed together throughout my job changes and my first trip to Los Angeles which would ultimately determine my moving to California. I had come here to see Jason, but as a change of plans, ended up staying with my dad's best friend Dennis and his wife, Karen for two weeks. When I went back I had plans to move in a few short months from Portland to the town of Lakewood, which sits a comfortable 3 miles from Long Beach, home to the Queen Mary, and, interestingly enough, only one beach to walk barefoot through the sand in. To make a long story short, I moved here on April 19th. I began my job at Starbucks shortly thereafter and near the middle of August, Jason and I were through, sadly enough. The year of planning and laughter and tears were over, and I had hit what would be the roughest patch in my life.
I almost immediately soared into depression. I would be angry over the smallest things, start crying for no reason, and would eventually understand that, after all I had been through in the past year, had a good right to act the way I was. I had changed alright, but it wasn't for the better and I knew it. Something had to be done, but what? I couldn't handle lashing out and crying anymore, and I couldn't control the crazy things I was doing. I stayed drug-free and sober, but that doesn't mean I wasn't doing and saying all the wrong things. I felt I couldn't do anything right, and was beginning to wonder why the hell I had moved to Los Angeles in the first place.
I was turning 21 on September first, and I decided I would go back home for a little while to be with my family during that time. Having nearly no friends here and no boyfriend, and really no life outside of work, I thought it would be a good change for me. So on August 29th, I packed my bags, went to the airport at 5 am and waited for my flight to take me back home. Little did I know that the next time I would come to Los Angeles, I would be practically a new woman.}

_{Hold on now, just a second. Before you start wandering that mouse to that other person's blog, hear me out. I'm not confiding anything in you, dear friend, but I'm explaining my history and personality just a bit so you won't be so confused in a few moments when you hear my plan, and see the change. So, if you are still uninterested after the next paragraph, feel free to read about the trials and troubles of a country with no leader and the scandals of the world, but just give me a chance first, will you? By the way, nice to meet you, I'm Kimmy. :] Please, take off your coat and stay awhile.}

_{So there I was on the plane and next to the man with a delicious-smelling sandwich, absolutely engrossed in the book I had chosen. To get to the point, the book is about a man named Danny Wallace, who meets a man on a bus. Who would have thought you could ever meet a man on a bus?! Isn't it brilliant?! I've bet you've met a few people on buses before, but this man that Danny met was no ordinary man. They were talking and the man simply said to Danny, "say yes more." Now I may not be the smartest pancake in the stack, but it didn't take long to realize that the three words he said to him ultimately changed Danny's life, and in the longrun, hopefully will change mine too. To make a long story short, well, somewhat short, Danny goes on a binge of saying "yes" to everything [with the exception of murder and few other things], until New Year's Eve. Take note, this story is based in London, England, and the fact that this occured all the way across the world makes it much more exciting to me. This is, in fact, a true story, in the back of the book there are even pictures of his adventures! He travelled to different countries and became engaged and learned so many lessons about himself all because he took a wise man's advice and said yes more! The main lesson that was taught to me in this novel was the fact that we miss out on so many opportunities that could ultimately lead somewhere else and make us happier than we've ever been only because we say no to small invitations. No matter what it is, even little things, accepting an offer from a colleague or old friend that you hated throughout high school, could change your life.}

_{"Think of the best thing that's ever happened to you. It only happened, because at one point or another, you said yes to something."}

_{I never thought until this book that I was a very negative person. I was wrong. Over the past year since my father's death, i've been soaring in and out of good and bad situations, making right and wrong decisions, not really LIVING life, but just existing. and i'm tired of existing. No, this is not an open invitation to kill me, but to listen to my plan and maybe try it for yourself to see if it DOES make a difference.
From this point forward, on September 9th, 2007, at 7:10 pm, I will say yes to everything. Except you don't count, and you can't ask me to do things, because you already know my plan. I will do just like he did and keep a diary of it, and post once a week to let you know of my progress, and the changes that happen and after 3 months, if my life isn't any better, I'll be done with his theory and go back to the dull, boring old kimmy. But right now, I feel like I need change. I feel like I'm done being stuck at rock bottom, and I want to see if I can really make a difference in my life. Even the littlest things, I will say yes. Yes, yes yes yes yes yes yes. See? Even reading it makes me more positive. True, some things I will turn down, I won't do drugs or smoke or murder a man or get drunk off my ass, BUT. I will accept the offers that come along, and hopefully not only me, but other people are affected by the outcome. Whatever happens and whatever I learn from this, I will keep in mind that there will always be letdowns, there will always be people trying to bring me down, but I can't listen to that. Not when I'm officially dubbing myself, as he dubbed himself, "the yes girl".}

_{So, what do you say, want to come along and find out what happens? I'm up for an adventure, aren't you?}

_{Danny Wallace, you are an inspiration. Thank you. And for you, my dear reading friend, run to your nearest bookstore and buy "Yes Man", by Danny Wallace and you can thank me later. I accept Visa, check, and cash. No refunds. :]}

Bookmark/Search this post with:

 •    •    •    •    •