How Saying ‘Yes’ Led Me to Unimaginable Opportunities

In a podcast I recorded this morning, I told a story about something that changed my life.

Even though I was a born and bred city girl, when my first son was born, my then-husband and I decided to move to rural Virginia.  I was fortunate in that I was able to quit my job at that time and stay home to raise him and, given that I love to create new experiences and reinvent myself, I started a llama farm!  Yes, you heard that right!  Our son grew up in that environment, on a beautiful 40-acre farm with our own fishing pond, our beloved dog, cats, chickens, a huge vegetable garden, and a herd of llamas! 

Well, one morning, walking back from the barn, my phone rang. It was a gentleman that wanted me to come to work for him to help a US federal government agency draft a request for proposal for a procurement system, in Washington, D.C. 

So here I was living an amazing life as a stay-at-home mom with no intention of returning to work, particularly when the commute would be at least a couple of hours each way!  The last thing I wanted was to interrupt my peaceful family farm life.  

 My brain immediately said no but when I opened my mouth, out came the words “well, I supposed I should at least hear your offer, so I know what I’m declining.”  So, I agreed to listen. 

We discussed the opportunity and in the end, I said 'yes' as we negotiated a flexible job arrangement that respected my time, even agreeing that the hours spent on the commuter train would be billable time as I could easily work on the train.  Off to work I went embracing this new opportunity.

 A few months later, things got really interesting as one of the top consulting firms in the world was also on that project.  They recruited me hard and were reluctant to stop trying even when I told them I would never fit into their corporate culture and didn't have any interest in climbing their corporate ladder. (Yup, those were my exact words!)  However, the conversation continued and, in the end, they created a unique offer and position for me that fully met my needs for freedom and flexibility.  

 But the real climax of this story came when this path of 'yeses' led to me successfully acquiring a $50 million technology company.  You see, I knew the company, I knew the technology, and when I woke up one morning with the thought of buying this company, I didn’t tell myself no, there’s no way you can do that.  I told myself yes! Now the monumental thing about this acquisition was that it happened without any personal financial investment on my part!  

And to think…had I not said 'yes' to that initial phone call walking back from the barn after doing my chores, none of this would’ve ever happened.  

Why am I sharing this? Because these experiences taught me the power of stepping beyond the familiar. Our comfort zones are comfortable for a reason, yet what lies beyond them can be dramatically more fulfilling.

Sometimes, the best opportunities in life come from the least expected places and decisions. Before defaulting to 'no', consider what could be. What opportunities might you be closing off? What might you gain if you simply stay open to exploring the possibility? My recommendation? Say 'yes' to exploring and see where that leads because you never know what opportunity might be just around the corner.

I challenge you to embrace potential, to see beyond the immediate, and imagine what could be. You never know where a 'yes' might lead you.

What's your 'barnyard call'? What opportunity might you be saying 'no' to without even realizing the opportunity that might lie within?  

Until next time, keep listening for your next 'yes.'

~ Stacie

Founder of Modern Consciousness®