The Power Of NO

I think the most powerful word in the world is "No". If we really want to live a life we can truly call our own; if we truly want to follow our dreams; if we truly want to build a fulfilling life we will need to be good at saying no.

image: gradhacker.org

Saying no to a lot of things, to a lot of people and to a lot of our cravings.

Everyday we are barraged with a lot of yes seeking requests from strangers, co-workers, friends and family. People will call you up only when they need something from you and then forget you till another need arises, and they always expect a yes from you. Some friends will take you as a greater fool, someone they could sell their bad business to. When they buy a shirt or shoe or car or phone or book and feel like they've been ripped off, you come straight to their mind; they try to sell it to you and act like they are doing you a favour. And there are relatives who see you as a cash machine. The one to pay for every bad financial decision they make. Then there are strangers who feel it's right to ask for what's yours just because they feel they need it more than you do; they will curse and call you names if you deny them the request. Everyday we're prompted to say yes to a myriad of requests.

And everyday I make sure to say a lot of no. 

As children what people think about us greatly influence our lives. Our favourite subjects are the ones taught by our favourite teachers, the teachers who thought well of us. But as adults it's not so; what greatly influence our lives is what we think of ourselves. Not what a stranger thinks. Not what your colleagues think. Not what your friends think. Not what your relatives think. In the real world your choices make you. The things you say yes to and the things you say no to. People are going to want you to say yes to a lot of things, so in the end, the no you say matters a lot more than the yes you say. Yes is almost always the default answer, the path of least resistance; while no is the tougher answer to give. No is an answer that defines you. Like it's been said, "The worth of a man is not in the things he says yes to but the things he says no to, the things he can't stand."

To begin to realise your potential, you will need to start saying no to all the things that make your life seem like it's on a treadmill. Lots of activities, same spot. You're running, you're busy and you're working, yet when you look beyond the activities you feel your life isn't really progressing. It shows you're saying yes to too many things. You need to realise the power of NO.