In the last few years, there has been a push in our society to say ‘no’ more. And it needed to happen. We seem to overcommitted and over schedule, leaving us feeling run down and exhausted. It is important to remember that too many yes’ to the wrong things make you say ‘no’ to all the right things.

However, as a society, we tend to swing far left or far right, never really settling in the middle. And just as we had swung to far right to always saying yes, we have also swung way too far right, saying ‘no’ to the good stuff.  Ya know, the things that help you fulfill your purpose on this beautiful earth and connect deeper to yourself and your tribe.

Here is the thing…I prefer the middle. I am a middle child. I’m a middle of the pack runner. I like the middle of the bed, where it is most cozy. I can see both sides of most stories, so again, I end up settling in the middle. I’m a meet you half way, ya know, in the middle, kind of gal. It just feels good there!

When I was playing with my girls on this fine Memorial Day Weekend, I was reminded why we like to say ‘yes’ more than ‘no’…it sounds nicer and it is more fun!

But, when we are with our kids, ‘no’ gets tossed around a lot. “No feet on the couch”. “No climbing on the bar stools”. “No treats”. Yikes. I know I don’t respond to hearing the word “no” barked at me all day…and I know they don’t either. It is easy to get in the habit of ‘no’. Sometimes after my daughter has asked me something, I responded quickly with ‘no’ before even considering what she asked me. Then, I had to question myself. “Why did I say ‘no’ to that? Another “no” followed by “good answer” came to mind.

So, say YES sometimes. Yes to playing in the rain, playing chase, sitting on the floor and reading a book with them, going on a neighborhood bike ride. Of course, you can’t say ‘yes’ to everything, but, be on the hunt for times you can say ‘yes’ and pair it with a smile on your face!

And since you are practicing saying YES to your kids, you can practice saying ‘yes’ to yourself. Yes to a massage, mobility work, to quiet time, to tea with a friend, or to any of the yes’ just mentioned above when talking about saying yes to your kids.

It’s absolutely a good idea to play in the rain at any age :0) Try it. I dare you 😉

Find the middle. A good, ole’ happy medium of a little bit of no and a little bit of yes.