Are you saying “Yes,” to your life?

All around us, people are taking risks, saying yes to their lives and to that which they must do.

When was the last time you took a risk? I don’t mean trying a new Thai restaurant, I mean a real risk–one that caused you to feel nervous, scared and excited all at the same time?! Risks are essential to feeling alive–they remind us that life is not a thing to be managed; it’s a wild, unpredictable mystery to be lived.

Today, my husband started a new position, at a new company, doing new things he’s never done before–a bigger deal at 48 than 28, for sure. He turned down other “safe bets” for this job because he knew this was a risk he just couldn’t pass up. I’m very proud of him.

I have taken many risks in the last 30 years: making career changes, launching and growing new businesses, writing three books, cashing out my 401K to create a global women’s program (read more) and sometimes the most daunting: having the willingness to get out of bed, be authentic/vulnerable, show up fully day after day to speak my truth.

Taking risks can feel scary. But I know that I am doing “that which I must do.” I am committed to practicing an unwavering allegiance to myself–to my creative expression, to my voice, to my soul, to my heart’s desire. As part of this journey, I am frequently invited by my Wise Self to pause, reflect and answer the question … “Will you say yes to XYZ, or will you take the safe, worn path?”

Who or what is your Wise Self? At the opening night of my weekend self-renewal retreats I share that I believe retreats are most importantly an opportunity to have a date with your Wise Self (read more). Whether you call your Wise Self your soul, the Divine, your intuition or something else, this is the part of you that is kind, discerning, brilliant, visionary and that holds the highest and best for you. Your Wise Self is the one who will bring you the perfect experiences and challenges at the perfect time for your highest evolution if you’re paying attention and listening.

We get whispers and taps on the shoulder from our Wise Selves all the time–all of us do. What differentiates us, is some of us respond and say “Yes!”and others of us turn away and pretend we don’t hear the insistent tone in this often quiet voice. Or, we simply close the door and say, “Not now.”

Richard Rohr, author of Falling Upward says, “There are the things you cannot NOT do, because of what you have become, things you do not need to do because they are just not yours to do and things you absolutely must do because they are your destiny and deepest desire.”

Be curious, compassionate with yourself and invite in a bit of wonder … then put your hand over your heart and ask, “Am I saying yes to my life?” And if not ….can you really afford to to say no?

WORK WITH ME: We support men and women around the globe in coming into balance through four key offerings: custom workshops & events, individual coaching, our Personal Renewal Group Program and books/telecourses. Read more about  these offerings and how we can help you align with what matters most.

Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by life balance teacher/author and Career Strategists president, Renée Peterson Trudeau. Offering speaking, custom workshops/retreats, training, books/telecourses and individual coaching focusing on self-renewal, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Spirituality & Health and more. Thousands of women in ten countries are becoming RTA-Certified Facilitators and leading/joining self-renewal groups based on her award-winning curriculum.  She is the author of The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal and Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: 10 Ways to Reconnect and Find Peace in Everyday Life. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and 13 year-old son. More on her background here.