The Art Of Saying No

Art of Saying No

It feels great to be the one that everyone comes to us for solutions to the problems they have. When the people get satisfied with your solution, they happily say, “Thank you dear I just can’t imagine what I would do without you.” At that instance you might feel so important that your heart will be filled with joy. The immediate verbal affirmation you obtain from saying, “Yes,” to every demand can even fulfill subconscious aspirations of becoming popular.

Of course it's easier to say yes, but at the price of your peace of mind? The number of valuable requests isn't likely to reduce, and you can't add extra time to your day. Are you condemned to be overcommitted? Do you want to struggle with taking on more than you can handle?

To avoid all these situations you can and should say “No”. It is just as important as yes which shields you against exploitation. Ann Lender has correctly mentioned, “People take advantage of you only with your permission”.

But people most likely think that it is easier said than done. However it often takes courage to say “No”. How can you say no without alienating yourself from others, breaking apart your relationships or losing your job? The cost of not being able to say no is huge.

That is the reason many people find it difficult saying “no” because they don’t want to dishearten others. That’s why they take on more than what they can tackle, thereby neglecting their own priorities, compromising the performance quality, and overburdening themselves under tasks and activities that will never lead to their eventual vision. That’s the reason it’s important to know when and how to say “no” – so instead of reacting to other’s demands immediately, you could respond considering your own ...

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...rely boost your energy level as well as exhilarate your self confidence.

Similarly, you can test your relationships by using this simple word “No”. If in any relationship, whether personal or professional, you sometimes feel stucked that you are not in a position to say No, it means either you are not having equal authority or you are not being loved (if it’s a love relationship). In both these cases you are only being the one who gets controlled by others.

Further, No helps make your Yes more significant, or as Grant puts it, "It makes you more of a specialist, rather than a generalist in what you give to others." When we say Yes considerately, because we are giving in our area of expertise, rather than saying Yes out of a need to be liked, we are far more pertinent to feel satisfied by giving.

“If you want your YES to mean anything, you have to say NO more often”