Over and over I’ve heard the rules of improv applied to everything besides improv. I have realized that one rule in particular can actually make a difference in everything we do.

That rule is saying “yes, and…”

A while back, I read a famous quote by Thomas Edison that really resonated with me: “We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Basically, Opportunity doesn’t just come knocking—that’s not the reality of the world we live in. You have to go out, find out where Opportunity lives, knock on his door, and introduce yourself.

Then once you’ve got said Opportunity wrapped around your finger… hit up the SquarePlanet Team to help you Maximize It. (But that’s another blog for another time).

I digress. One way to reach out for these opportunities is simply by incorporating two words, six letters, into your daily routine. “Yes, and…”

Why are these words so effective? Because they knock on doors. They foster opportunity. They prevent you from settling, even if settling seems cozy and comfortable.

As professionals and as humans, we are typically afraid to reach higher, to dip our toes into unidentified waters, and to say “yes, and…” because we are afraid that trying new things or crossing barriers may lead to failure.

But, we should not be afraid of failure. We should be afraid of mediocracy. Of settling for the cozy and comfortable. Of passively accepting the cards we’re dealt as life passes us by.

Saying “yes and..” is a sure-fire way to prevent that acceptance of blinding routine and settling for the present. Saying “yes, and…” means that you are continually contributing to your world. It means you are challenging your present by pushing your future.

So, I challenge you to incorporate that mantra into your daily routine, and see what difference it can make. We’re firm believers that Fortune Favors the Bold—so go out, be bold, and capture the inevitable fortune.