‘Yes’ is also a Complete Sentence

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greetings from KCMO (that’s kansas city, missouri for those not in the know). can’t wait to fill you in on experiencing my first totality eclipse. incredible! more on that in another post because this one has been floating around for a while.

i am sure most of us have read or discussed how ‘no’ is a complete sentence. the meaning of this, especially for women, is that we are allowed to say ‘no’ and not have to follow it up with any reasons why or explanation. this is usually used in circumstances where many of us feel as though we need to share why we say no to placate the asking party.

of course, this is easier said than done many times because many of us tend to be people pleasers.

now for the flip side,

“yes” is also a complete sentence!

i was talking about this with my husband a few weeks ago and we had this epiphany together.

how often have you found yourself needing to explain why you are watching a music video instead of working? going out with friends? reading quietly instead of cleaning?

now, i don’t mean you aren’t getting any work done because all you do is watch youtube videos. i mean when you take a mental health break because you need it.

how this plays out in my life?

examples:

“do you want to watch a movie?”
-yes, because i’ve been really productive today!

“should i take another bite of this insanely delicious dessert?”
-yes, i worked out twice this week so i deserve it.

“should i spend an extra 5 minutes enjoying the shower?”
-yes because usually i take quick showers and my muscles hurt.

if ‘no’ gets to be a complete sentence, so does ‘yes.’

i’ve found that times when i use ‘yes’ and then follow it up with a why, it’s usually because a part of me feels guilty about saying yes.

i vote that we also allow ‘yes’ to be a complete sentence without needing to reason with ourselves or others!

this has been pulled to my consciousness more as i stop using this weak word (and also no longer apologizing for taking up space)!

another aspect of this is ensuring that you actually say ‘yes!’ to things!

say YES to…

  • turning off the tv and chatting with your spouse
  • eating another cookie if you truly love how it tastes
  • wearing clothes that fit
  • deep conditioning your hair
  • initiating a girls’ night out
  • a wild idea that has been on your mind

make sure you open your mind to saying YES! and not worrying so much about why you might deserve to say yes to something!

have you found yourself ever explaining why you said ‘yes’ to something?

 

6 Comments

  1. Sara | Mrs. Imperfect

    August 23, 2017 at 9:46 am

    The flip side of the saying no post I recently wrote! Great to remember.

    • chelsea

      August 31, 2017 at 2:56 pm

      that’s awesome sara! it is an important thing to remember for both words!

  2. Jennifer Haston

    August 23, 2017 at 10:19 am

    YES! SOOOOO MUCH THIS!

    • chelsea

      August 31, 2017 at 2:57 pm

      yay glad you agree jennifer!

  3. Audrey

    August 23, 2017 at 1:09 pm

    I think that I’m constantly explain why I’m saying yes or no. So silly… I have a right to do whatever it is I want to do (that doesn’t harm others)… see a movie, eat a cookie, turn down a night out, read an unusual book. Unless it’s a part of the conversation or I truly want to share the reason, I have no need to divulge why I do what I want (or don’t want) to do!

    • chelsea

      August 31, 2017 at 3:06 pm

      yes we dooooo audrey! now i want a cookie and read an unusual book (i need to go to one of your posts to find one your recommend)!