When Jeff Probst said, “Say yes. Show up. And something amazing happens” at the Golden Globes, he wasn’t talking about luck. He was talking about a pattern. A pattern that shows up every time someone decides to stop waiting and start moving. Because most people aren’t stuck because they’re incapable. They’re stuck because they’re hesitating. They’re overthinking. They’re waiting for clarity, confidence, or certainty before they act. And those things don’t come first. Action comes first. Saying yes comes first.

Let’s be honest. What usually holds people back isn’t lack of talent or opportunity. It’s fear. Fear of failure. Fear of looking foolish. Fear of being judged. Fear of getting it wrong. Fear of wasting time. Fear of not being ready. Fear keeps people in their comfort zone, and the comfort zone feels safe, but it slowly drains you. It makes life smaller. Quieter. More predictable. And predictable is the enemy of growth.

Saying yes is how you interrupt that pattern. Saying yes is how you stretch yourself. It’s how you build confidence instead of waiting for it. Confidence isn’t something you wake up with one day. It’s something you earn by showing up when you’re unsure. It’s built through action, not intention. Every time you say yes to something that scares you just a little, you’re teaching your brain that you can handle more than you thought.

Most people think motivation comes first. It doesn’t. Movement comes first. Action creates motivation. Saying yes creates momentum. And momentum changes everything. When you’re in motion, you stop obsessing over what might go wrong and start paying attention to what’s actually happening. You get feedback. You get clarity. You get stronger. You stop being stuck in your head and start living in your life.

Saying yes doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. It means saying yes to what expands you. Yes to growth. Yes to curiosity. Yes to discomfort that leads somewhere meaningful. Yes to the conversations, opportunities, and ideas that stretch your identity. It means saying yes to becoming more of who you already are instead of shrinking to stay comfortable.

If you’ve been searching for how to get out of your comfort zone, how to overcome fear, how to stop holding yourself back, or how to stretch yourself, this is it. You don’t wait until fear is gone. You move with fear in the room. Fear doesn’t get a vote. It gets information, and that’s it. You acknowledge it, and then you choose action anyway.

Burnout doesn’t always come from doing too much. A lot of times it comes from doing too little of what lights you up. It comes from playing small. From ignoring your curiosity. From living on autopilot. From saying no to the things that might wake you up again. Saying yes is how you start feeling alive. It’s how you reconnect with possibility.

When you show up, something shifts. You stop being a spectator in your own life and become a participant. You stop watching other people take risks and start becoming the person who does. You stop waiting for permission and start trusting yourself. That builds resilience. That builds courage. That builds real confidence.

And here’s the thing: discomfort is not danger. It’s expansion. If you feel nervous, uncertain, or stretched, it doesn’t mean stop. It means you’re right where growth lives. Your comfort zone is not protecting you. It’s containing you. Nothing amazing happens there. Amazing happens when you decide to step forward before you feel ready.

Every big change starts with a small yes. Yes to the meeting. Yes to the message. Yes to the application. Yes to the trip. Yes to the conversation you’ve been avoiding. Yes to trying something new. Yes to the version of you that hasn’t fully formed yet. You don’t need a massive plan. You need a brave decision.

This is how people change their lives. Not with giant leaps, but with consistent yeses. Yes to curiosity. Yes to courage. Yes to connection. Those three build confidence. And confidence changes how you show up everywhere.

You don’t say yes because you’re fearless. You say yes because you’re tired of being stuck. You say yes because you’re ready to trade comfort for growth. You say yes because you know there is more available to you than what you’re currently allowing.

And when you show up, something amazing really does happen. Not because the outcome is perfect, but because you become different. Stronger. Braver. More trusting of yourself. More alive. You don’t wait for the breakthrough. You create it by moving.

You are not behind. You are not broken. You are not too late. You are one decision away from momentum. One yes away from a shift. One moment of courage away from a different story.

So say yes. Show up. Let the experience teach you. Let action shape you. Let yourself be surprised by what’s possible when you finally stop negotiating with fear and start choosing growth.

ABOUT JESSICA:

Jessica has worked with clients such as Scotiabank, NBCUniversal, the Dallas Mavericks, and Fortune’s #2 “Best Company to work for.” As a #1 best-selling author of 13 books, Jessica has been interviewed on NBC for her research and work on the power of Saying Yes.

Jessica hosts Say Yes Retreat Experiences and the Say Yes Club, empowering you to check off your Life List items. When she’s not traveling around for work, she creates Say Yes experiences, while learning about the exciting world of ebikes, so she can carry on real conversations with her CFO, Chief Fun Officer, her 13-year-old son, Blaise, who is also a #1 best-seller author and the youngest published author in the United States.

Get Jessica’s recent book, The Say Yes Experience: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and into Possibilities at jessicarector.com. Connect with her on LinkedIn by CLICKING HERE.