Today a friend wondered aloud, should I save money in my 401(k) or should I put it in my savings account for a trip to Europe? I quipped back, “Yes”! He was speaking somewhat in jest, but his point came across loud and clear. I live (and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this) in a mindset where I so often make living an either/or proposition.
Am I a dog person or a cat person, a member of the LGBT community or the Christian community, a life coach or a legal professional, a car driver or a bicyclist? The answer is “Yes!”
Sometimes I stumble all over myself trying to figure out how I can be one thing, when in truth I’m much more than that. I feel like I put myself in a box and then get really frustrated with myself, or feel like I'm being untruthful about who I am. We're diverse beings who are often too quick to put ourselves into tidy little compartments. When we do that we end up missing out on new, creative ways to live and to solve problems. Am I someone else’s employee or an entrepreneur? “Yes!” Left brained or right brained? “Yes!” Artistic or analytical? “Yes!”
I’m playing a little game with myself this week. Whenever I set up a proposition that would result in an either/or, or no/but, I’m changing it around in my mind, to see if I can find a way to make it “Yes…And". I believe that this kind of thinking opens up new pathways that expand our thinking, make our brains more flexible, and align us with all kinds of resources we never would have otherwise imagined. All this in turn makes our lives more wonderful and less stressful! If you feel like it, I encourage you to do the same, and let me know if it causes any shifts in your thinking.
Now, should I have chocolate or cookies for dessert tonight...YES!
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