As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten really great at saying no to things I don’t want to do.

In my younger years, I was easily talked into spending my time any way other than how I wanted to spend it. But now that I have a family, I’m conscious of how we spend our time on a personal, professional and recreational level.

I know I’m not alone in this. Many of my friends have also said they are now much more comfortable and confident saying no to obligations that just don’t fit their schedule or lifestyle.

But what about saying yes to things we want to do?

My dad passed away in January and his death reaffirmed my decision to say yes more often to doing things. You see, he waited years to sell his business to the perfect buyer. He finally made the sale when he was 65. He looked forward to enjoying retirement but, three years later, died unexpectedly.

Read more…