012: Hell Yeah!

I have heard the phrase, "If it's not a HELL YEAH!, it's a NO!" in many different forms over the last year or so. Derek Sivers is one name that comes up as a favorite guru about this idea, and here's a little visual to go with the phrase, just to help it sink in. I think this is directly related to Marie Kondo's Spark of Joy (yesterday's post). If you don't have a strong feeling of "I want to do that!" then it's likely that from the beginning, it will be difficult to engage with and complete a project. I can imagine some would argue that there are plenty of events, projects, objects, and people we encounter with whom we don't immediately have a Spark, but that time and learning will teach us the value of that event, project, object, or person. Undoubtedly. And there are many instances in which we have no choice, and we still must work through the difficulties. Agreed. But understanding the choice we have in so much of all that we do allows us to actively decide "HELL YEAH!" or practice saying NO, and meaning it.

The funny thing is, I'm finding that there is sometimes very little difference between a Hell Yeah! and a No. In the process of saying Hell Yeah! to getting rid of lots and lots of crap, I'm also saying No, No, No! to the things that are going out the door or into the garbage, as in, "No! I don't want that stuff anymore!" And last week when I wrote a resignation letter for a volunteer board I serve on, it was a simultaneous "No! I don't want to do this anymore!" and a "Hell Yeah! this feels soooooooo good to do!"