By Brent W. Hopkins

Consider the power that the simple word "yes" has to influence decisions, determine outcomes, and shape your destiny. Language is one of the most powerful forms of symbolic thinking, and the word "yes" is one of the most powerful of all words. "Yes" is one of the first words that a child learns to speak. Every language has a word that corresponds to "yes." "Yes" manifests the possible. It is the key that opens the door to new experiences. Without "yes," we only have intangible collections of "no" and "maybe."

Think of something that you want to happen. Now phrase it as a question. For instance, if you want to get a new car, ask yourself "Am I going to get a new car?" Write down your answer to the question - the first answer that comes to mind. If your answer doesn't contain the word "yes," then you are not likely to be getting a car.
So you want a car, but you are not getting one. See what just happened? You verbally negated your desire. Perhaps the universe will intervene and give you a car, despite that fact that you nullified your own desire? Anything is possible, but it is unlikely that the universe will forcibly bestow a car upon you if you don't say "yes."

Why? Because if your answer didn't contain "yes," then it probably contained "no," or "maybe," or some variation on those themes. Only "yes" has the power to manifest results.

Consider this thought experiment. Imagine you are thirsty, and you want a glass of water. Now, imagine a person approaches you with a glass of water in hand and asks "Would you like a glass of water?" How do you answer this question? If you say "no," then do you think the person will give you the glass of water? Of course not! If you say "maybe," or "someday I too would like to have a glass of water," or "I am thirsty, but now is not the right time for me to get a drink of water," or pretty much anything other than "yes," do you think the person will give you the glass of water? No, because you really have not answered the question in a way that communicates that YES, you would like the glass of water, right now.

To carry the thought experiment a bit further, imagine that you didn't answer "yes" and so the person shrugs and walks away, carrying the glass of water with them. Is it reasonable to become angry or bitter because of this outcome? Is life unjust, did the person do you wrong, because you are still thirsty, while they have a nice cool glass of water? No!

Of course, "yes" on its own does not automatically manifest your desires. You still have to do the work! But without "yes," your efforts will not bear fruit.

Power can manifest itself in positive or negative ways, and this is also true of the word "yes." To say "yes" can sometimes be extremely unwise. Just as "yes" can open the door to positive experience, it can also drop you into the pit. For example, consider the question "Do nice guys finish last?" If your answer is "yes," then you have created a mental framework that is almost certain to manifest unhappy outcomes. If being nice brings failure then either you choose to be a nice failure or a successful jerk. Neither of these outcomes are desirable. You said yes to an idea that constrained your choices to negative outcomes.

Think of the word "yes" as the "on" switch for a machine that can turn your thoughts into reality. Be careful of the thoughts you feed into the machine before you flip the switch!