The Power of Intentional Yes: Finding Clarity Amidst the Noise

Jaret B Barron
Dec 21, 2025
2 min read

Updated: Jan 20

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” - John 10:27

Understanding the Noise

When I think about this topic, I reflect on the struggle of being a people pleaser. For a long time, I said yes to everything. This habit led me to do a lot of tasks, but not always the right ones.

Saying yes did build relationships. It placed me in rooms I wouldn’t have entered otherwise. I took on work that nobody else wanted to do, and that mattered. Some of those yeses opened doors I never expected.

However, when saying yes becomes a habit, it can lead to exhaustion. You find yourself everywhere, drained, and seeing no results. That’s when yes turns into mere noise.

The Cost of Saying Yes

I began to notice that I was pouring my best energy into other people’s visions while my own remained boxed in. I could envision the results I could achieve if I unleashed my gifts without limitations. Yet, I kept choosing comfort over my vision.

Jasai Enterprise was my first true leap. There were no outside partners, no borrowed vision—just my family, our values, and our work. This experience taught me something crucial: you have to say yes intentionally.

Recognizing the Difference

Noise often masquerades as encouragement. People ask questions like:

“When are you dropping another play?”
“When’s the next show?”
“When are you releasing another album?”

These inquiries can feel good because they create a sense of demand. However, most of the time, they are just noise. People ask because they know what you do, not necessarily because that’s what you’re called to do next.

If you chase every question, you’ll never hear clear direction.

The Confusion Signal

When I followed the noise, confusion was always the result. Anxiety can accompany growth, and pressure can be part of progress. But confusion? That’s a signal.

God is not the author of confusion. When confusion arises, it often means I’m listening to too many voices.

Finding True Direction

Direction feels different. It comes when you slow down and trust the process. Direction unfolds one step at a time. I refer to this as the Billie Jean effect: the square doesn’t light up until your foot hits it. You don’t see the entire path at once; you move, and then clarity follows.

I’m still learning this lesson. Every season, every opportunity, brings new challenges. The noise may get louder, but the direction becomes clearer.

The moment I began to separate the two—noise and direction—everything shifted.