Yeah
“If It's not a 'Hell, Yeah,' It's a no.”
- Derek Sivers
In our frantic pace and overwhelm where everyone seems to be looking for “life hacks” to simplify their lives, this saying has become an increasingly adopted filter. The genealogy probably goes back to something Jim Collins once said, but what doesn’t? (At least in the business leadership world!)
We tell the leaders we work with that when they say “yes” to something, they are saying “no” to a whole list of other things. For instance, when I say “yes” to additional work, civic duties, or even church responsibilities, I am likely saying “no” to more time with my children, my wife, or maybe even with God. Everything I say “yes” to has a typically unspoken antecedent. I am saying “no” to a bunch of stuff whether I realize it or not.
When you look at it that way, the additional stuff you are agreeing to should almost be required to have a “hell yeah” type emphasis. One of the beautiful outcomes of our Life Plan experience is that people get so clear on their unique identity and the life that God created them to live, that their life naturally trends toward an increasing amount of “hell yeah” type stuff.
And who doesn’t want to live that kind of life?
One of the most powerful leadership lessons I’ve ever heard came from a video series called “Nooma”. They were actually conceived and written by a guy named Josh Salmons who lives here in San Antonio. One of them describes Jesus this way:
“He’s just been surrounded by this crowd that has all these expectations of him. There are all of these people and they have very strong opinions about what he should be doing and who he should be doing it for.
So Jesus retreats; he withdraws to check himself, to listen to God, to make sure that all these voices haven’t pulled him off track.
You never see Jesus doing anything out of obligation.
You never hear him saying, ‘Oh, I guess I should because I’m supposed to.’”
It goes on to talk about how Jesus apparently walked past lots of potentially good things he could have done in order to spend time alone with God. To spend time with the one that would help him identify the truly essential or great things that he needed to do.
Instead of taking his cues from what everyone else or even he thought was important, he was going to petition the source and find out what was essential that he gets done. He was going to operate closer to his unique creation and purpose and fulfill only the tasks God had for him.
And guess what?
He was modeling that for us so that we would do the same!
Sounds like it is actually a very holy thing to get clear on our “no” and our “hell yeah”. That video ends with a charge that reminds me of that:
“May you drop your shells (all those extra things you are doing) in the pursuit of a simple, disciplined, focused life in which you pursue the few things God has for you. And may you be like Jesus, able to say no, because you’ve already said yes.”
Consider
What are you saying, “yes” to?
What are you simultaneously saying, “no” to?
How are you deciding which is which?
Are you increasingly saying “hell yeah” to more things?