Disclaimer: I'm not going to share anything with sugar on top. And when I talk, share or divulge in talk about the journey, that's not what I expect either.
Today I had to just stop mid sentence and say to myself no is okay--it's making me resilient.
If I can't hear yes, the way I'm wired, I'm going to keep going, adjust and make a way so that I'm more likely to hear yes next time. It makes you proud when things are earned and not given, shared, handed over immediately (could be the Cleveland in me). It makes you appreciate your track record and effort toward the goal. For me, at least.
I have been hearing several 'no's clanking, echoing and bluntly ringing. Whether from circumstance, people in business, or from myself. There is courage in hearing no and getting right back to work. Not allowing a no to be discouraging or dismantling takes intention. Another no also puts you closer to a yes - and I remind myself, as well as people around me, that there is a time for yes and a time for no. Don't slow up.
Timing is everything so if there is something you want and perhaps you know the answer should be no, maybe the real answer is actually not right now. And maybe the time for yes is not far off into the future.
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The other half to the title of this entry is this: no is a complete sentence.
I hate to bounce from two completely different matters, but this one has been staring me dead in the face lately. Follow me.
Even recently, I have shared this gem with a few people and simultaneously resisted using it in my own space. (I can't be the only one who sometimes practices do as I suggest, not as I do)
Bottom line is, I am reserving my energy and space for things, places, people and otherwise that are adding to the person I want to be in this world. And to say no, IS OKAY!
Whether it is saying no to your spare time, because balance is important or to taking on more. We have to carve time out for ourselves and if saying yes interjects into that precious time or into your plan, I suggest don't do it. Even more important, don't feel bad about saying no.
I sometimes need a gentle reminder that no is okay. Saying it is like a muscle; the more you use it, the better you become at saying it and the less guilt you feel after having done so. Even heard this in a recent podcast talking about preserving yourself as an entrepreneur. You have to know that no is also going to make you stronger and better.