HOUSTON – Houston writer and author Jenny Block has built a career - and a life - on saying ‘yes.’ From roller coasters to shark dives, she’s all about facing her fears and living authentically to find joy. But she wasn’t always like this.
“When I was 40 years old, I’d never even been on a roller coaster. I had never let my feet leave the ground, basically,” says Block, who just released her fifth book, about saying ‘yes’ to life and to yourself.
Then one day, while visiting an amusement park, she saw little kids, big kids, grown ups -- all getting in line for a popular ride. It was in that moment she decided to stop holding back; she climbed aboard. Turns out she hated the rollercoaster after all, but something inside her had shifted.
“That started the year of ‘yes.’ Whatever I was asked, I said ‘yes’ to,” says Block, who spent the next year diving with sharks, rappelling down the side of a 22-story building, and doing things she previously would never have considered.
“The more scared of it that I was, the more I said said ‘yes,’ That was the rule,” said Block
”And you know what? I’m still here. Could I have died? Sure, I can die crossing the street, but I didn’t want to die sitting on the bench holding everybody else’s coats," she added.
Watch the full interview, produced by Houston Life’s Derrick Shore, to learn more about Jenny’s philosophy about life and how she manifested true happiness.
‘Badass Manifesting: How to Manifest Abundance, Success, and the Joyful Life of Your Dreams’ is Jenny’s latest book. It is now available in stores and online in both electronic and print editions.