I recently saw the movie Yes Man starring Jim Carrey. Without giving away too much, I would like to say that I found the movie very entertaining and, actually, quite thought provoking. I included the trailer to give you the premise of the movie, watch it here:
As you just saw, Jim Carrey’s character, Carl Allen, is a chronic “no man”. Almost every request that he gets- whether it is for a bank loan, an invitation out with his friends, a sales opportunity- he turns down. He almost seems to enjoy saying no, and he therefore feels disappointed with where he is at in life. However, at a conference Carl accepts the challenge to become a “yes man”. Every request that comes his way he must respond, “yes”. You can imagine all of the situations, good and bad, he gets himself into with that promise!
I think that, for some, we get into that mindset when everything is “no”, and we need something to shake us out of that complacency. On the other hand, some of us have a chronic “yes man/woman” attitude… when someone asks us to do something, we cannot help but say “yes”. As I am sure you can agree, sometimes that attitude can really take away from the things that we are supposed to do. Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog, has this to say about that special word:
One of the most powerful of all words in time management is the word no! Say it politely. Say it clearly so that there are no misunderstandings. Say it regularly as a normal part of your time management vocabulary.
Say no to anything that is not a high-value use of your time and your life. Say no graciously but firmly to avoid disagreeing to something against your will. Say it early and say it often. Remember that you have no spare time. As we say, “Your dance card is full.”
For you to do something new, you must complete or stop doing something old. Getting in requires getting out. Picking up means putting down. Creative procrastination is the act of thoughtfully and deliberately deciding upon the exact things you are not going to do right now, if ever.
So, I think what we can take away is to say “yes” to new and exciting experiences that will stretch you… and “no” to those tasks that take away from your priorities. What should you be saying “no” to today?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello Matt,
Thank you for the movie recommendation. Although Jim Carey is not one of my favorite actors, I admit that the film topic strikes me as very interesting.
From now on, my intent is to say YES to new and exciting experiences that will stretch me… and NO to those tasks that take away from my priorities!
Kind regards,
Chantal
Hi Chantal,
Sure, I am not a big Jim Carrey fan either, but he does have some more unique and thought provoking movies that transcend the “Ace Ventura” and “The Mask” films of his earlier career. Another movie worth checking out with him and Kate Winslet is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Very different idea from Yes Man, but good in my opinion.
Well, I’m glad that you were encouraged, spread the motivation!
i dont know why you dont like jim carey . he takes stress out of our lives atleast for an hour in movie with his silly faces and acts. i really like his movies , because i laugh all the time in his movie and forget all the daily problems . besides he gives me motivation to keep on trying on tasks as he struggled all his life to become successful actor . he is the perfect example of PERSISTENCE ,
thanks
dave kumar
Hi Dave,
I wouldn’t say that I don’t like Jim Carrey, I would more say that I prefer his more recent roles. I do agree with you 100%… his acting is unique and inventive. He does have a great story behind his success, too, so if you have a chance check out how he wrote a blank check to himself. It’s a great encouragement!