YES AND NO – the paradox of two powerful words.
“If you told Colleen NO, she assumed you did not understand the question. She would smile and restate or rephrase the question.” This is how my grandmother described my intuitive approach to life.
I was confident, helpful, and curious. My goal was to turn that misguided NO into a YES.
Over the years, some people did not see this “practice” as my most endearing
quality. I call it a practice as I kept perfecting it, and it mainly served me well.
Hear NO, ask questions and move folks along to the YES I was looking for.
Eventually, I accepted that if you have the superpower to change a NO to a YES, you must be true to yourself.
I also realized a paradox here – NO was my power word.
From my early days of selectively not hearing NO when I wanted a YES.
I was saying a silent “NO – that’s not what I want. I’m going to decline your NO. Rephrase my question until I get you to YES.”
So now, I am a lover of the word NO.
A teacher of the word NO.
NO is my superpower and can become a Power Tool in your life.
NO is the oxygen for YES, and there are many things I want to say YES to.
So, if you need convincing, here are nine reasons why I believe that NO is one of the most powerful words in the English language.
It creates time.
It reduces stress.
It frees you from doing things you don’t want to do.
It protects you (or those you love).
It saves you money.
It demonstrates decisiveness – an admired leadership quality.
It increases focus.
It contributes to improved health.
Without using NO, you will never fully explore YES.
A firm NO, confidently delivered promptly, is a gift for you and the receiver.
So next time you are asked or invited to do something you don’t want to or don’t have the time to do – Say NO. Firmly, quickly, with limited explanation and more confidence and grace than you might feel, say NO.
Now – take a breath.
