The Game of Yes and No

How Embracing New Experiences is Fuel for Success

Growing up, I never saw myself as creative. My stick figure drawings and tone-deaf singing drew snickers from all but the most charitable audiences. I told myself a story that I wasn’t good at these things, so I never practiced and thus never got better. I needed a fine arts credit to graduate from college, so I looked for the easiest class I could find. I saw Music 2 scheduled at a reasonable hour (I was not a morning person), so I signed up. Lower-numbered classes are more introductory, and I learned to play the recorder in elementary school, so I was confident this class should be no problem. I arrived early to a small, plain classroom with fluorescent lighting and faded off-white paint on the walls. The grand piano beside the blackboard was the only thing differentiating it from nearly every other classroom. I found a chair and waited for class to begin.

I started talking to a cute Asian girl to my left. She was thin, with pale skin, long hair, and dimples. I smiled at her as I ang…