Yes, Man!

Today was an alright day. I am biding my time until I can go on my maternity leave and take a break from work. I was browsing my extensive collection of DVD's to watch something good and what did my eye spy but the movie Yes, Man! This movie is already a few years old, but I felt the push, the need, the want to put it on. I was already writing a blog about it in my head. I already knew what I wanted to say about the ending of the film.

If you haven't seen this Jim Carrey film, it is about a man named Carl. He divorced a few years back and hasn't done anything with his life since except stay working at his bank job. He has let his friendship with his best friend go to the wayside, he doesn't make an effort to make new friends, and he actually avoids any and all people. Every day he wishes he could get back with his ex-wife, who already has a serious boyfriend. In short, he never says "yes" to anything in his life. He constantly says "no thanks" or "he's busy." On his lunch break at work, Carl is sitting outside and a man greets him that knew him from some past function (college or something) and asks him what he's doing with his life. Carl answers negatively, which prompts the man to present him with an inspirational pamphlet about a support network who's mantra is "Yes!" He joins this group of people and has to say "yes" to EVERYTHING; has to go out drinking with his best buds and foot the bill; has to agree to letting his elderly neighbor lady give him a blow job; has to agree to a mail order bride; has to learn Korean, amidst a long list of other things. However unsavory some of the things he has to say yes to, there are quite a few things that aren't unsavory. He gets out and enjoys his life more and even meets a gal.

I enjoy watching Jim Carrey's antics and gyrations. He is so exaggerating (to say the least.) I remember the last time I watched this movie. I was curled up with my baby's dad on the couch on a day much like the last few days; there was a lot of snow on the ground, but the sun was out. So, we closed all the curtains, even shut the bathroom door, to make it dark and cozy to watch the movie. We dozed off and on watching Yes, Man! It was wonderful. It was so simple. It was a day I will remember. He asked me as I put on the movie if it would be nice to do "this" aka watching movies and just relaxing together more often. I turned and nodded my agreement. Yes. It would have been nice. Yes. It would have been nice. Yes. It would have been nice. After having been saying no to so many things in my life at the time, I told him yes.

If there is one thing I have learned from this movie and from my own life, it is that life isn't about saying yes to everything. It isn't about saying no either, because there is more I've said no to in my life than I've said yes to. It isn't about yes or no. It is about just living, being willing to take chances, make mistakes, make decisions, and be the best person you can be in the process. It's about not letting the world change you, but you changing the world. And maybe the world is just one person to you, and maybe it literally is the whole world. Who knows better but yourself? The journey to saying yes to your individual life is a long one. Say yes to that. You can't go wrong there. Say yes. I did. And I refuse to let anything anyone does to me or anything the world throws at me make me say no to my life. It is mine; and it is worth saying yes to.