Say no

[Nadine Toukan]

I've been wanting to touch on this for a while, but never quite figured the best way to put it out in words. Today's Seth Godin post says it all.

Sometimes you just have to say no!

I have a rep of upsetting people coz I say no. I've heard them call me arrogant and non-committal, and well... a few other names. That doesn't bother me at all coz it usually comes from loud people. I like cultivating that kind of rep actually. What I do find myself wondering though is why some brilliant people around me don't say no when it seems like they should.

Seth is so right when he says, "saying no to loud people gives you the resources to say yes to important opportunities".

Many people I know waste their time and energy by choosing to say yes for the wrong reasons. When they do, they get distracted and busy and miss out on the things that need them and deserve them, and over time they lose that spark. Some argue that they need the money and don't have a choice at that given time. I often say that the money comes when you're doing the right thing.

Jordan today needs us to stand up for the real deal. Whoever you are, whatever you do, think twice before saying yes. There are many important things waiting and aching to be addressed, and they're waiting for people like you to invest your talent and energy towards transforming challenges into opportunities for success... for you and the world around you.

[Tanya Kasim]

So true, Nadine! We miss out on everything when we say yes for the wrong reasons, especially when loud people put so much pressure on us to answer them, whether it's an invitation to have lunch at their house(s) or they want us to do volunteer work. I've nothing against doing volunteer work, but in most cases, I think people tend to dump the work on others. I think being able to say no also applies to your own life, whether you marry or not is up to you, but there you have it, someone wants you to say yes to a status that you might or might not feel miserable in.

[Yusuf Mansur]

Saying no also saves much grief later. Creative doers should not force themseleves to lower the bar for others, they end up suffering the most themselves and come up with bad products that do not satisfy their own development.