A year of YES by Nicole McMath

Step one for me was to actually say YES to participating in this amazing blog and if I got past saying YES what the heck am I going to talk about. I often say No to things simply due to the fear of failure. If I cannot do something perfectly than why do it at all. I'm only setting myself up right? This fear of failure has led me to often avoid new situations, experiences, friends, family, and so on. So saying YES to Participate and Commit to the 29 Days of Yes Blog is my first move towards a year of YES! 

Step two for me is to stop making excuses for why I can't or shouldn't do things and start making plans and reasoning for how I Can and Should. My nature and mentality often have me on defense; time to score some shots and play offense for a change. The way I see it is defense = No and Offense = YES. From now on I am Cam Newton and I'm going to the super bowl this year. 

Step three is to make room for failure and imperfections. I am done seeing imperfections as failure; the rule book is done, gone, trashed, outta here *wipes hands clean*. My goal is to focus on the journey instead of the outcome. Focus on the knowledge gained and shared rather than the grade. Open my mind to imperfections and how I use them to my advantage. 

My last step in a year of YES is to say YES to me. At 18 I started to struggle with an eating disorder. I have always been thin/fit and life events (going off to school mixed with my parents getting divorced and few other things) hit me hard. I didn't know it at the time why I was struggling with my body image but I was. I'm 5'8" and was a whopping 100 pounds at my lowest. I truly would look in the mirror and think I was fat and disgusting. I'm 28 now and in a wonderful place both mentally and physically. Thinking back on those 6 years I have come a long way. I said all this to say, the mental struggle is still there- About 90% of my days are great but occasionally I have those bad, guilty days where I have to fight my head and extinguish the negative, disillusioned thoughts. My final step for a year of YES is to truly say YES to me and all of me. To love myself and my body. 

YES YES I CAN!