The power to say no

A simple word can make a huge difference in your life
Estimated Reading Time: 8-9 minutes

"In life, wisdom consists of eliminating what is not essential."
Linen Yutang
Every day, we make hundreds of decisions that will have a direct or future impact on our lives. If you are not careful, you will find yourself living a life defined by what others expect of you, a life by default.

In a world that is increasingly demanding of us, learning to say "no" is an essential skill in order not to be overwhelmed by the burden of unwanted responsibilities. It's not just saying no to a particular situation, it's also saying no to everything that hurts and slows you down.

Knowing how to say no is one of the hardest things to do in life because any negative response can hurt and disappoint, but it also has tremendous liberating power that you don't suspect.

To say "no" to bad habits is to choose life.
"Half the knowledge in what you want is to know what you give up before you get it." - Sidney Howard
We all know what we need to do to be healthier or more effective, but the problem is that we don't want to act because change requires changing our habits. The body is irritated and the mind revolts to silence any desire for change.

In The Power of No, James Altucher says that you have to decide to "Choose Life", not to pursue habits that kill you in the process, such as smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, eating too much fat and sugar, neglecting regular exercise.

In addition to healthy living, choosing life also applies in social relationships to get rid of toxic people: from those who vampurate our energy to those who make us feel guilty or frightened.

To reject these toxic people is to find a healthier relational atmosphere. The time and energy regained can be used towards people worthy of your attention and who really appreciate you.

A simple exercise allows you to quickly identify your inner circle:

List all the people you are in contact with at least five times a week.
Rate on a scale of one to ten how you feel about these people. Are they trying to make you better?
Spend more time with the people you ranked higher than eight. Spend less time with all the others and distance yourself from those who are less than five.