The Joy of Saying Yes: Choosing What Truly Fills You

By Suzanne Hamil, LMSW/RSW

Last time, we talked about the power of saying no - about protecting your energy, setting boundaries, and creating space for what matters. Here’s the truth: No is never the end goal.

The real magic happens in what comes next - when you finally have the clarity, the space, and the freedom to say a wholehearted yes. Saying yes - when it’s intentional - isn’t just a response. It’s a return. A return to your values. To your passions. To the things that fill you up, instead of drain you dry.

The Right Yes Has a Feel

The right “yes” doesn’t feel like pressure.
It feels like alignment. It might be a spontaneous walk on a crisp fall afternoon.
A creative project you’ve been pushing aside.
Or the slow, sacred joy of doing something simply because it brings you peace.

These are the yeses that don’t just use your time - they restore your soul.

We’ve Been Taught to Say Yes for the Wrong Reasons

Too often, we say yes to avoid guilt.
To keep the peace.
To meet expectations we never agreed to. When you start saying no to what drains you, something beautiful happens - you begin to hear the quiet invitation underneath:
What would you say yes to if you weren’t so tired?

Relearning the Yes

Saying yes is about choosing what aligns, not what appeases. Just like “no” protects your energy, “yes” directs it.

Try this:

• Say yes to what feels meaningful, even if it's not productive.

• Say yes to connection, rest, wonder, joy.

• Say yes to what brings you back to yourself.

This Season, Choose with Intention

Just like the trees shed what no longer serves them in fall, we too can clear space - not to stay empty, but to reclaim joy. This season, let your yes be sacred. Let it be rooted. Let it be yours. Protecting your energy is only step one.
The real joy is in choosing what fills it back up.