The three-letter word YES and the two-letter word NO are very crucial in our lives. These words, though minimal, help us in enormous ways. They make our choices easier and more accurate.
For example, when asked to reply in Yes or No whether we are happy, we have to sum up all the varying degrees of happiness, leaving out any tinge of sadness, to answer in the affirmative—or deny the happiness and say we are sad. This mindset helps us accept a positive outlook, overlooking minor setbacks.
The area where this Yes or No option works best is with children and their choice of food. If we ask children whether they would like to eat ice cream, chocolate, French fries, or pizza, the unanimous answer will be Yes. For veggies and plain milk, the answer will be a forceful No.
It would be a dilemma for them to decide whether to say Yes or No if given a choice between ice cream and chocolate, or French fries and noodles.
But there are many situations in life where decision-making is not easy—when the mind rules over the heart. When an elderly parent is terminally ill and doctors advise ventilator support to keep them breathing, the Yes or No choice at this point becomes difficult. We know they are in pain, and keeping them alive is more painful for them and for us. The mind wants to say No to ventilator support and the tubes running across their frail bodies, while the heart feels guilty and wants to say Yes, refusing to let them go, even though their moments of ebbing life are distressful.
Another situation in which the heart rules over the mind is when marital disputes take place and the children’s lives are at stake. The Yes or No option is not easy to make. The mind tells the wife to walk away and break all the shackles of a failed marriage. The mother’s heart weeps and worries for the children and their lives. To decide to say Yes to the decision to walk away takes tremendous courage for the wife; similarly, for the mother to say No and accept her fate.
Undoubtedly, the Yes or No option makes us more focused in our decision-making when we have to choose between the opportunities that life brings to us. It makes us more responsible for our decisions.
Yet, it is not always easy to make a choice. Sometimes, we wish for a third option other than Yes or No.
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If you enjoyed this reflection on choices of the heart and mind, share your thoughts in the comments below.
– Munira Dalal
About the Author:
Munira Dalal holds a B.A. in Sociology and is a respected educator with nearly two decades of experience teaching across various schools and coaching students from all boards. She is also a Level 8 trained Abacus instructor. Munira’s creative flair extends to designing greeting cards, leading to the successful launch of her brand, SHABNAM, which offers a collection of exclusive, self-designed greeting cards.
Her poetry, covering diverse themes, has been widely appreciated and awarded in renowned literary forums, including Asian Literary Society, POEMarium, Prose and Poetry with January Khan, StoryScrapers, Penmancy, Poetry Planet, and Beyond The Box. In recognition of her outstanding contribution to literature, she was honored with the SAMPOORNAM MEMORIAL AWARD 2018 by the Asian Literary Society.
