The Power Of Saying Yes

Saying yes when one is tempted to say no opens so many doors to experiences that would otherwise be closed, which will pave a pathway to a fulfilling life. The idea is to take a chance and leap of faith, while making calculated guesses.

Recognising this, Rakesh Dewan has come out with his first book ‘Take the Chance, Don’t Say No If You Can Say Yes’. In this book, he talks about moving out of one’s comfort zone. The book has witnessed the participation of various industry and government luminaries, namely, Sanjeev Bhikchandani, founder, Infoedge, Anuj Poddar, CEO, Bajaj Electricals, Anil Wadhwa, former Indian Ambassador to Oman, and Soumya Rajan, Founder and CEO Waterfield Advisors.

Rakesh Dewan, the author of Take The Chance, talks about the inspiration and drive to write his book, “For me inspiration comes from life and thought influences on me…..the title came much before the book came. I got a title which put the focus on what I wanted to convey”. The book is about grasping the spirit of not continuing life as it has been, cause if you do what you have done you will get what you have always got. The contents of the book are not directly about success but the quality of your life.

Talking about his life experiences of taking a calculated chance, Bhikchandani says, “You are always taking chances…. question is are they calculated, are you afraid of going out of your comfort zone. Can you make it work despite the risks.” He also spoke about the important aspects of the book, like the importance of walking alone. He himself took a chance by taking up entrepreneurship when it was not commonplace to start-up. At the same time there is some amount of luck which is mainly driven by hard work. Circumstances are important, but our choices are what make the journey of life. In a similar light, ambassador Wadhwa notes, “Many yes(s) come to mind. I used to work at UNO at Hague. My wife had to return, and I had to make a choice whether to return or not. When I decided to return to IFS, it was a big risk for me.” We are cluttered with many life choices every day, which can alter the course of life. 

Talking about his experience, Poddar says, “My first yes was joining Arthur Anderson. Which was difficult coming from a business family. It was out of my comfort zone.” However, it added to my worldview. it triggers a ripple effect in one’s development. Rajan speaks about her big yes(s), “The big yes for me when I decided to become an entrepreneur. I was 40, and comfortable at Stanchart bank. I jumped in nevertheless and founded Waterfield in 2011 as an advisory company.” The biggest challenge is sense of identity which is a difficulty one has to overcome. The idea is not to just say yes but do something about it.