Editorial - Issue 4 (July-August 2009)

Throughout life, we naturally tend to focus on things, situations, and people "out there" – whether it's a project, a lover, a piece of news – we give it our full attention. And we all know that "where attention goes, energy flows".

At some point in my life, I bought into the idea that seeking externally is not a good idea – that one must "go within". Just a couple of weeks ago this all changed for me when I finally came to realise that there is no such thing as seeking externally! External IS internal. How can it be anything else? There is nothing outside of myself – it's all a reflection of something within that I'm pulling into my personal sphere of reality. ALL of it.

If we are to live life to the full, we need to engage with it, throw ourselves into it wholeheartedly – now, now, NOW! Share what you feel, tell that sexy woman/man that you find them fascinating (what you see in them is part of you anyway, so what the hell). Fear of experiencing the world stops us from realising our true potential and sharing what we have to offer, which is the reason we're all here in the first place! None of us knows how long we've got. Now is the only time.

I recently watched a movie called Yes Man... It's based on the book of the same name, which is an autobiographical true-life account by Danny Wallace. It's all about what happened to him after he met a mystery man on a late-night bus in London who told him to "say 'Yes' more". In a video interview on Amazon.co.uk, he explains: "I'd been saying 'No' a lot. If you say 'Yes' more, you're grabbing opportunities and chances and you're being proactive – you're getting out there, you're changing stuff. So I decided not just to say 'Yes' more, but to say 'Yes' to everything!"

It could easily be argued that saying "No", not "Yes", is what is called for at this time. There is truth in that and, as always, there does need to be a balance. As a mother, I do tend to say "No!" a lot. Repeatedly, in fact. (By the way, it's not really the word, but how you say it that has the desired effect.) I always said that if I can teach my kids anything in life, it's how to accept a "No" gracefully. This little word has been my stolid mantra for so long that my kids have become impervious to its original significance and meaning. I become doggedly determined to stick by it even when I can see that it's completely ridiculous! Even so, the wilful little tykes often get their own way somehow and I have to reluctantly admit that saying "Yes" is undoubtedly far more rewarding (and fun!).

This issue is dedicated to inspiring the "Yes" in all of us... May you have many spontaneous adventures as a consequence. You're more than welcome to write in and share what happens with us!