Bella Disu’s TEDx Ikoyi talk, “Say Yes Now: Why Readiness is a Myth,” is resonating widely for its clarity and emotional honesty — not because it targets one group, but because it speaks to something universal: we hesitate at the very moment we need to move.
In the talk, she reflects on the quiet weight of waiting — the belief that one more milestone, one more qualification, or one perfect condition is needed before taking a step. Psychologists call this destination addiction: the belief that readiness lies somewhere ahead instead of here and now.
Disu shared her own turning point at 38, when she finally met her “whole self” — the creative, the changemaker, the lifelong learner — not through perfect preparation, but through a simple act of courage: deciding to stop walking within the same walls.
One of the most powerful lines in the talk underscores the ripple effect of choosing courage:
“Saying yes never ends with you… each yes becomes a light for someone else.”
Her message is both simple and liberating:
• Readiness is not found in advance — it is formed in motion.
• Growth begins not when we feel prepared, but when we choose to begin.
Say yes once — even when inconvenient or imperfect — and everything begins to shift.
Watch the TEDx Ikoyi talk here:
Say Yes Now: Why Readiness is a Myth | Bella Disu | TEDxIkoyi