The Power of "YET"

My client was really annoyed!

We were assessing a growing edge goal for her leadership,

And she still hadn’t achieved it.

But, after a pause, she added, with a quietly confident tone in her voice: “YET!”

Her affirmation reminded me of other conversations where the word “yet” has worked magic,

And how I need to remember its power when I’m coaching.

This reflection brought a favorite movie to mind, called The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

It is a story of seven British pensioners who go to live in India at what they expect to be a luxurious, top notch hotel. Reality ends up not matching the marketing, and each one is faced with how to make their life work in this very different environment.

They find themselves in the care of an ambitious, enthusiastic, managerially challenged, but ever hopeful young hotelier named Sonny, who is desperately trying to bring his dream to life.

Everything is conspiring against him, including his mother’s unhelpful skepticism!

In one scene, even one of his elderly British guests expresses doubt about his prospects to keep the hotel,

To which an exasperated Sonny declares:

“Everything will be all right in the end... if it's not all right, then it's not yet the end!”

In other words, Sonny was placing great faith in the idea of “yet!”

Do you remember a time when adding “yet” to your sentence worked magic?

When it helped you not assume a “no” too soon?

At the end of the film, when miracles have happened and Sonny gets to keep his hotel,

Evelyn, played by the luminous Dame Judi Dench, narrates:

“The only real failure is the failure to try. And the measure of success is how we cope with disappointment. As we always must……

But it's also true that the person who risks nothing, does nothing—has nothing. All we know about the future is that it will be different.

So, we must celebrate the changes. Because, as someone once said, 'Everything will be all right in the end. And if it's not all right, then trust me, it's not yet the end.' ”

Let these words be an encouragement to you!

What situation in your life would greatly benefit by adding a “yet?”

• How can you change your mindset to give the word “yet” a chance?
• What’s the step you will commit to?
• What’s the miracle you are willing to embrace?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Yours on the journey,

Martha