In this solo devotional podcast episode, Dr. Marlene Greenleaf launches the May series “The Empowered Yes,” inviting listeners to move beyond merely saying “yes” out of obligation, pressure, or habit toward an intentional, aligned “yes” grounded in Scripture (Matthew 5:37). She explains how misaligned yeses drain energy and disconnect us from purpose, while an empowered yes feels right, honors values, and may stretch us without pulling us away from our calling. Greenleaf offers three reflective questions for listeners to identify pressure‑driven yeses, discern God‑placed opportunities requiring a true yes, and imagine the shift that trusting an aligned yes would bring. She emphasizes that saying fewer, but aligned, commitments shapes time, energy, and direction, ultimately making one’s yes powerful. The episode closes with encouragement to live boldly in one’s power, breathe through challenges, and a playful nod to “May the 4th be with you.”
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Well, hello, my valued listeners, and welcome back to a brand new month of Living in Your Power. I'm your host, Dr. Marlene Greenleaf, and as always, I am so grateful that you are here as we step into May together. Can you believe it's the month of May already? And today For those of my, um, Star Wars fans, may the 4th be with you. If you know, you know. But anywho, now this month we are grounded in a powerful and intentional theme. It's the Empowered Yes, aligning with what you are called to do. Now, after spending April aligning ourselves with purpose and clarity, May invites us into something deeper, not just knowing what we are called to do, but saying yes to it. And today's episode, the first in our May series, is titled The Power of a True Yes. Now, not every yes is an Empowered. We say yes to a lot of things. Yes to our obligation. Yes out of pressure. Yes to avoid disappointing others. And yes because it feels easier than saying no. But again, not every yes is aligned. And over time, those misaligned yeses can leave you feeling drained, overextended, and disconnected from your purpose. Because a yes that is not rooted in alignment is not sustainable. Now, our scripture verse today is taken from Matthew 5:37, and again, it's in the New King James Version, and it says, But let your communication be yea, yea, nay, nay. For whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Now, let your yes be yes. That's simple, is clear and aligned. And this scripture reminds us that our yes should not be complicated. It should not be forced. It should not be driven by fear. A true yes is grounded. I mean, it is intentional and it is aligned with truth and not pressure. Now, an empowered yes feels different. It feels different because it doesn't feel rushed. It doesn't feel heavy, and even when it stretches you, it still feels right. Why? Because it is aligned. An empowered yes honors your values, reflects your purpose, and requires your presence. And sometimes, dear listeners, it will ask you to step outside of your comfort zone, but it will never pull you away from who you are called to be. Now I want you to sit with this again. It says, let your yes be yes. So take a moment this week and reflect on these. This is your empowered prompt for the week on let your yes be yes. Okay, I want you to reflect on these questions. Where have I been saying yes out of pressure instead of alignment? What is God placing before me that requires a true yes? And what would shift if I trusted my aligned yes and honored it? I'm gonna repeat those reflection questions for you again. It says, I want you to reflect on these: Where have I been saying yes out of pressure instead of alignment? What is God placing before me that requires a true yes? And what would shift if I trusted my aligned yes and honored it? You don't need more commitments. You need aligned ones. So in closing today, my friends, your yes matters. Your yes matters. It matters because it shapes your time. It shapes your energy. It shapes your direction. And when your yes is aligned, it becomes powerful. Powerful. You don't have to say yes to everything, and you shouldn't. You just have to say yes to what you are called to do. So I want to thank you for joining me for this first episode in our May series, The Empowered Yes: Aligning with What You Are Called to Do. So until next time. I want you to continue to live boldly in your power today, and if it gets tough, just breathe. You've still got the strength to rise. So continue to live in your power, and may the 4th be with you.
