I have friend named Maximilian, a very charming and wise man. The other day I asked him what advice he would give me about life and he said "Eat chocolate and say YES!" Many of you know that I rarely eat chocolate even though I think it tastes heavenly. Well, I decided to have a piece, at his urging. It was rich and smooth and tasted so good that everything else faded away. Ahhh...this was Max's point. The sensual experience of eating chocolate took me inward. I stopped thinking and talking and just relished the sensation. As Max would say - think less, feel more. I bet there are lots of ways to apply that adage. Eating chocolate was certainly a good way to start.
The part about saying "yes" was a bit more challenging. I decided I would try saying "yes" at every opportunity during my day: running late for an appointment, having a great talk with my son, being annoyed with a friend, a misunderstanding with my husband, a good yoga practice. Then in addition, I would say "yes" to the politics of the day, earthquakes and our severe winter drought. As I said "yes" more and more throughout my day, I discovered that "yes" was a testimony, a declaration of my power. That despite the complexities of life unfolding all around me, a big, bold "YES" was a clear assertion of my intention to live my life with grace and gratitude. Max describes "YES" as a big warm bear hug. As I said, Max is very wise.
