Choose the courage to say “no”

 

Saying “no” is just as important as saying "yes."

 

Consequences of not saying "no" when you need to say "no"

​

Very often, we end up feeling resentful, stressed, overwhelmed, depressed, ineffective, and guilty because we neglect to choose "no" either with others or with ourselves with clarity and consistency.

 

Questions to ask to create and maintain the life I want

​

• “What am I not going to do today?”

• “What am I willing to cancel or reschedule so that this day can be fun and productive and guilt-free?”

• “In what ways might I choose courage by choosing not to do something?”

• “In what ways might I choose courage by saying  "no" with kindness and respect to another?”

 

These are questions we must ask ourselves if we are to create a life of fun, renewal, and accomplishment.

 

The idea of "having it all" is bullshit

​

The prevalent idea that we can have it all or always please others is especially toxic to our lives.

    

For every "yes" we choose, we must choose "no" a thousand times. Cramming in one more "yes" just sabotages the experience of our lives as works of art and destroys or diminishes each "yes" we’ve already chosen.

 

Create the life you love with "no"

​

How might you choose courage today by saying “no”?

​

Bonus: a magical, effective, respectful way to say "no"

​

"A part of me would like to say "yes" to you and I currently don't know how to do that and still take care of myself."

​

If you wanted to, you could add on, "Maybe you see a way that I could say "yes" to you and still take care of myself?"

 

​

                                                                                                                                                        

"Learn to say 'no.' It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin."

-Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892, English preacher)

 

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."

-Lin Yutang (1895-1976, Chinese-American writer, translator)

 

"The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say 'no' to almost everything."

-Warren Buffet (1930-, American investor, worth $100 billion USD in 2021)