The mind finds endless excuses to say no. Maybe you aren’t sure you’ll succeed. You’re afraid. You don’t see a future with this person. You don’t want to be hurt or embarrassed.

Always suspicious and unsure, the mind rejects life’s possibilities. While the mind is good at solving intellectual problems and going about the practical aspects of life, the stuff we care most about isn’t practical or intellectual at all. We want to feel loved, to feel excited about each new day, to be understood, to grow and to try new things—we want to feel alive!

How many human connections have you avoided, turned away, or decided to cut off? How many opportunities did you say no to, or not even get to because you cut off a relationship before it could develop into a wonderful life situation? The mind’s impulse to resist and to separate is the source of suffering, loneliness, and lack.

To live your best life requires a heart and mind that is wide open and a soul that is untethered. Stop trying to figure out and define everything. Say yes to new connections and experiences, then accept and feel the reality of what comes into your life in the present. Make natural adjustments based upon the reality before you.

When it comes to what matters most in life, the mind is no guiding light. Allow reality and experience to lead you instead by saying yes.