I once interviewed a woman who told me that the best way to be interesting is to say “yes” to every new opportunity that comes your way. Yes to community theatre. Yes to a new job. Yes to something that scares the pants off you. “Just try saying ‘yes,’” she said.
So, when the opportunity to get my Bachelor of Communication Studies came up, I said “yes.” I said “yes” to courses I wasn’t otherwise drawn to and suddenly became fascinated with publishing and editing. I said “yes” to a contract job and learned about sole proprietorships and client relationships. Yes to grad school, teaching, and developing individual learning materials.
The series of yeses led me to Scriptorium. My earlier yeses to policy development, writing about the trades and being passionate about learning brought me to a place where yes is the company policy. At Scriptorium, I learned that yes also means finding creative solutions to problems, finding the right people for the job, and giving people the tools to say “yes,” too. It means asking ourselves what yes looks like for each client, each project, and each colleague.
Bringing yes to your professional life can look like a lot of things. It could be taking a chance on a project you are not entirely confident in taking. It could be saying “yes” to yourself and delegating work to your team. Perhaps it’s saying “yes” to a new team member or a project that’s been long on the back burner.
I learned four things about saying “yes”:
Yes isn’t necessarily forever. It’s trying something new, even for a short while. It’s being open to new experiences, which can go well or not.
Yes isn’t always comfortable, but it’s worth it. It takes vulnerability to try new things but stretching that comfort zone will broaden your horizons.
Yes requires support. A good team, a supportive community, and personal growth will help you make yes easier. Some yeses lead to failure, and that’s okay! Having support around you makes those mistakes easier to bear and the successes more fun to celebrate.
One yes leads to another. When I can say “yes,” it often means that someone else can also say “yes.” Perhaps that creates a chain of yeses that make this corner of the world a little brighter.
I said “yes” to Scriptorium, and Scriptorium said “yes” to me. This partnership has already been fulfilling, engaging, and, yes, interesting. Through my work, I’ve learned new things and exercised my skills while providing a yes to a client.
What does yes look like for you? Perhaps you’ll take a chance on a new show, a new project, or learn a new skill. Maybe yes means a break from work, applying for that promotion, or hiring that intern. Maybe you’re like me, and the best yes right now is saying “yes” to Scriptorium. Whatever your yes, I suggest you take it. Your world will be more interesting for it.
Learn more about Rebecca and the rest of the team on our About Us page.
Growing our team increases our capacity for our clients. We believe that each of our writers brings an important set of skills that work together to make us a diverse and capable team. This gives us the flexibility to support a variety of projects by assigning the right writer or team to support your project needs. Contact us to book one of our team members to work with you on your writing and instructional projects.
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