Yes Man - Say Yes To Life!!!

Today, let’ understand the metaphor and message served through the movie Yes Man (2008).

The Movie - Yes Man is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Peyton Reed, written by Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul and Christofer Tufton, and starring Jim Carrey. The film is based loosely on the 2005 memoir of the same name by the British humorist Danny Wallace, who also makes a cameo appearance in the film.

Storyline of the Movie - Yes Man follows Carl Allen, a lonely, negative bank loan officer stuck in a monotonous life after a painful breakup. His world changes when he attends a self-help seminar that convinces him to say “Yes” to everything. This simple shift launches him into a whirlwind of unexpected experiences—learning new skills, helping strangers, reigniting friendships, and starting a quirky, heartfelt romance with Allison, a free-spirited woman he meets by chance.

As Carl continues saying “yes” without limits, the consequences become chaotic. Eventually, he realizes that true freedom doesn’t come from blindly agreeing to everything, but from choosing life consciously and openly. The film blends humor, emotional insight, and Carrey’s trademark physical comedy to show how embracing possibilities can transform one’s life.

Metaphor & Message – As I understand, this movie gives us following messages through its story-telling –

a. We should be ready and willing to accept new opportunities coming through life to explore life in its totality.

b. If we are going through a rough time and we want a positive change in life then existence can bring that change only through a situation or a person.

c. Hence, it is necessary for us to be receptive and acceptable to people and situations in our lives. If we keep on saying No to people and situations then there is no hope of any change.

d. Saying No is an easy option as we continue to remain in our shell and we need not to change anything in life.

e. Saying Yes is difficult as it makes us vulnerable but the possibility of change is also in that vulnerability only.

f. One of the main reasons why we say No is doubt and distrust towards others. In human life, nothing blocks growth more consistently than a doubtful and distrustful mind. Distrust is not merely an attitude towards others; it is a mirror of one’s inner insecurity. When a person cannot trust the world around them, it reveals that they are fundamentally struggling to trust life itself or even themselves.

g. When we don’t trust the existence or the energy called God then we start distrusting people and situations in life too and cover ourselves within a shell.

h. I can say from my own life that I was in misery till the time I was closed within myself and my life improved when I started trusting existence and start becoming more open to the opportunities and people sent by existence.

i. As a teacher and astrologer too, I have realized that main issue behind sufferings of people is that they are not receptive towards situations and people who enter in their lives.

And we show this doubt and distrust in many ways during our daily life.

j. It can be a very simple example but it is still worthy. Recently, when we had all these sessions on Healers and Counsellors of different field, there I had to ask participants repetitively to please keep their cam open. For me, open Cam is sign of receptivity and in a session related with healing, this receptivity is a must thing.

k. Same thing happens during consultation calls. I understand that people like to keep their privacy but what I am talking here is split of human mind. They can trust me enough to seek guidance from me as they feel that I can guide them correctly but they can’t trust me enough to open their cam. This shows the inner conflict within person which is expressed externally during call with me. It won’t be a surprise if these people are showing this split in other areas of life too.

l. During consultations too, even when consultations are offered on a donation basis — where the seeker chooses the amount — distrust appears again. Questions like *“What is the guarantee you will give consultation after I donate?” reveal a deep contradiction. They trust the astrologer for life guidance, future direction, and emotional support but they do not trust the same person with whatever amount they themselves decide to donate.

m. This inner split — trusting and distrusting at the same time — is the root cause of many of their life problems. The mind that lives in fear of being cheated remains incapable of receiving anything fully.

n. This mindset prevents them from benefiting fully from the consultation. Life responds to one’s level of openness; when one stays closed, existence also closes its doors.

o. Another person took a consultation from me and tried to run it through ChatGpt to check if consultation was correct or not and then tried to run the analysis done by ChatGpt through me.

p. So, the basic problem in all these situations is distrust and doubt. Such a mind filled with distrust and doubt can never say a wholehearted Yes to any situation or person and hence, no improvement can be possible.

q. This movie *Yes Man*, beautifully illustrates how life expands when one says “yes” to situations. People who habitually choose “no” — no camera, no openness, no trust, no vulnerability — unknowingly choose stagnation. They are seeking solutions for problems that actually originate from this same closed, distrustful attitude. 

r. If they cannot trust someone in a simple, safe environment like an online class or online consultation where other person is sitting 1000s of kms away, how will they trust life’s bigger opportunities?

s. Life does not withhold anything, it is the individual’s own distrust that blocks the flow.

t. Most people believe they have external problems — career, relationships, finances.  But the real issue is internal.  A doubtful mind creates a doubtful life.  A closed mind creates a closed destiny.

Now, if we honestly ask ourselves, why so much of distrust or doubt?

Then we may not find any reason. What anyone can take away from you? What you have of your own (besides ego and doubt) which can be taken away by anyone? All the things we call as ours is already provided by God. Nothing is our own creation, not even this physical body which we feel as ours. It is just a shell given for the time being and it is already getting depreciated with every passing-day.  

So, we are unable to trust existence in order to safeguard whatever little we have accumulated somehow, which is also accumulated by the grace of God actually and by distrusting or doubting, we are ready to let-go of all the treasures which existence can provide to us.

Now, trust does not mean blind faith.  It means keeping the heart open enough to receive.  It means being willing to say yes.  It means allowing life to meet you halfway. When the seeker becomes open, sincere, and trusting, solutions emerge naturally.  Guidance works. Learning flows. Transformation begins. Because life always supports the one who is willing to trust.

I am not saying to say Yes everywhere but as I see most of us are at the same position where Carl Allen was in the movie Yes Man. We have been so closed to the existence that for at least an year we need to make Yes as our preferential choice and then only energy can come into balance. After that, take your judicious decision to say Yes or No as per the situation.

If I again explain it in terms of Gunas of Nature then

No = Tamas.

Yes = Rajas.

And when we strike the balance between Yes and No, that is Satva.

Let’s close with Osho’s words –

“Say yes to life. A ‘yes’ is a door, an opening.
When you say yes, you are no longer resisting.
In that acceptance, existence starts flowing through you.
The man who says yes to life becomes capable of receiving all the gifts of existence.

Gratitude!!!