03 May 2009

The power of "No."


"No" is very powerful word. It's a hard word for many to say since it's a negative. I've been slowly learning the power of this 2 letter word and am learning to use it judicially. Let me explain.

In the past, I was one of those people who would accept a job, project, etc. because of the the challenge and I didn't it to appear like I couldn't do it. But, I was only setting myself up for failure. When you accept everything that is sent your way, you can only handle it for so long. I've recently had much more on my plate than it could handle. Things fall off, things run together. In a nutshell, it's a mess.

After a process of several internal discussions (yes I do talk to myself), I saw the problem. I can't make the plate bigger, so I need to limit what is on it. Surprisingly, I have found that a "No" delivered with honesty and explanation is accepted pretty well.

I'm a work in progress and still trying to get through this maze of life, but I think I've found one the keys to a locked door.

1 comment:

Dirtcheap said...

So true! Most people are scared to say no.. even when they know that it's not the best decision. Even the movie "Yes man" touches on the importance of saying "no".
Stay Real
-A.R.