The Power of No
There is a magic word most of us master very young, but some how forget later in life. No.
In this day and age there is another "magic" word that is being toted as the antidote for all of your life's ills, to manifest all of your dreams. Yes.
However, yes comes with a catch, that many choose to wilfully overlook. OK, say yes. Now what? Plop! There it is. Isn't it? Oh hang on, maybe I did not say yes loud enough, or not in the correct manner. Still nothing. Hmmm... there is more to this than meets the eye.
Indeed there is! It requires, commitment and action. Oh wait! You mean I have to do something, you mean put in some effort? Oh that's too hard. So I'll go and find a different yes. Such is the cult of yes today.
What started out as tool to free oneself from limitations, is today co-opted to re-enforce limitations. If you do not say yes to everything then you are retrogressive. A very topical theme in this current time.
But what about that other "magic" word? You know, the other one, the dirty one, the non-PC one, the one of borders, boundaries and limitations.
You cannot approach the infinite before knowing the finite.
This applies whether you want to take that mystically or in a mundane sense. Mystically, the mystery schools of old taught, know thy self. That is you have to know yourself (finite), before you can know the gods (infinite). On the mundane level, you have to know what your current (finite) resources are before heading off into the (infinite) unknown.
No is your starting point. From here you can examine the obstacles and then enquire or plan to overcome them. Of course sometimes, some things should just be left alone, in that case, you move onto other things to conserve your time and energy.
Yes is often abused as the starting point for wishful thinking. No can be your starting point for solutions orientated thinking.
"Open Hand", Leo Plaw, 24x30cm, oil on canvas
One of my earliest articles on Steemit was a work in progress of this painting.
You can find more of my artwork on my website. LeoPlaw.com
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No means Fucking No ..... :)
No, it doesn't! =)
Georgeous painting! The following resonated with me:
"You mean I have to do something, you mean put in some effort? Oh that's to hard. So I'll go and find a different yes. Such is the cult of yes today."
^^^ SO true!! (Sadly)
Thank you @chelsea88! Your quote from my article made me realise I had a few grammar mistakes. Thank you again.
I dug into the cult of yes for a while with the likes of Abraham Hicks. But something kept nagging me. Then I finally identified what was missing, preparation and consistently working towards your goals.
Lol i didn't even notice the grammatical errors but your welcome.
People today are overly dependent on technoloy of now ( i say as i am on Steemit with my cell phone, case in point lol) .... this causes people to sometimes become too impatient expecting things to always be within reach. Well that's not how it works. As you said prep + consistency is key!
Technology is not the sole reason for the impatience of today. Rather it has facilitated it. A tool is neither a bad or a good thing of itself, it is how it is used that is the determining factor.
The technology can also be a powerful tool for preparation and being consistent. =)
No i just said we are probably over dependent. In terms of insta gratification. Sorry should've clarified.
I agree it is definitely a powerful tool in those terms
No worries. =)
I feel this way too bro I get you
No is the beginning, Why is a step Yes is the end of the journey
it is in the why that we learn, the journey is the experience that builds us
well said, and dude awesome painting! ^_^
Thank you @sols! I would agree with you.
Follow me, and i will follow you too
i followed u. follow me back
Nice artwork and an interesting treatise on the power words 'yes' and'no'. As an executive, I trained myself to say no in some situations. Saying yes can make one popular but not effective! Thanks for brining this thoughtful blog to us. Upvoted and followed.
I have posted a funny blog with Giraffe photos I have taken and a blog on tigers. It would be great if you can take a look when you have time. Your comments will enrich my Steemit experience. Thanks
Thank you @vm2904!
Take a look at Chris Voss' "Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It". As a former FBI hostage negotiator, he had to always start off from a position of no. The following video is great introduction.
Thanks. I will certainly take a look
Such an amazing paint. Well done.
Thank you @cloudnine!
The word No means the same in every part of the world but yet people still act like they don't know what it means.
It is a greatly misunderstood word, whatever language/s you speak.
I'm constantly telling people no. It's a lesson that most aren't willing to teach so instead the undeserving get what they want.
Thank you for the resteem BTW! ^_^
We have to learn it for ourselves first. But the knack is being able to say it gracefully.
I've got a gentle temperament. I could be angry and no one would know! So saying no tends to work out for me. :) Oh and you're welcome, this post deserves the resteem!