|
 JUST
SAY "Yes." The concept is an easy one, and yet most of us habitually say "no" to
what could provide lots of opportunities. British author, comedian, and
freelance BBC radio producer Danny Wallace wrote his memoir Yes Man to
document the several months after he accepted a stranger's advice to "say 'yes'
more." Wallace's book begins after a difficult breakup, at which time the
twenty-something-year-old is mostly hiding in his flat watching movies and
neither answering his phone nor returning calls. He misses birthdays, barbecues,
and significant events in his friends' lives. When a friend finally does manage
contact, Wallace invents excuses, saying he is too busy. He is pondering the odd
comfort of his daily rut when a stranger on a bus gives him advice that changes
his life.
From that moment forward, Wallace decided, he would say
"yes" to everything (within a very few practical rules). The rest of the book,
which he wrote as if talking to a friend rather than as a blow-by-blow
chronological account, is hilarious, heartwarming, eye-opening, educational,
and inspiring. The author's enthusiasm for saying "yes" is engaging – and it
gives readers a glimpse into what might happen if we said yes a little more.
Wallace accepts challenges, opportunities, and offers (including some that are
clearly scams) and he even answers "yes" to questions that get him into
trouble. One of my favorites was a situation in which Wallace kept answering
"yes" to a man who clearly was ready to fight over his girlfriend. Questions
included "Are you looking at my girlfriend?" and "Are you looking for a $@!*
smack in the mouth?"
Since I have been on my trip around the country, I have
said "yes" more – but I am seeing through new eyes after reading Wallace's
book. I neither need nor want to say yes to everything, but saying yes even a
little more would do most of us a world of good.
Incidentally, after reading Wallace's book, I went to
see the movie version of Yes Man starring Jim Carrey, which was released
December 19. Although the movie barely resembled the book (was more like
inspired by), it stood on its own quite well. Jim Carrey's character Carl Allen
is American, and most of the story takes place in Los Angeles after he attends
a self-help seminar called "Yes is the New No" hosted by a guru played by
Terence Stamp. While the details of the movie changed most details of the book,
the movie stayed true to the spirit of the book and was so funny that I kept
laughing at scenes that were long past. My sides hurt the next day – and I felt
uplifted at the same time. Now, how often does that happen? I saw the movie
because even though an old friend had said she was tired, when I asked her if
she would join me for a movie, she said "yes." And we were both glad she did.
Please email me at
okeefekg@gmail.com or visit my
website at www.snark-hunter.com.
Until next month…
Link to previous reviews -
January 2009 |
