DW's Blog

Just Say No

by DW Green — January 12, 2022

The more you say no to the things that don’t matter, the more you can say yes to things that do.

One of the hardest things to do in life is to say “No.” To invitations, to requests, to obligations, to the stuff that everyone else is doing. Even harder is saying no to certain time-consuming emotions: anger, excitement, distraction, obsession, lust. None of these impulses feels like a big deal by itself, but run amok, they become a commitment like anything else.

If you’re not careful, these are precisely the impositions that will overwhelm and consume your life. Do you ever wonder how you get some of your time back, how you can feel less busy? Start by learning the power of “No!”—as in “No, thank you,” and “No, I’m not going to get caught up in that,” and “No, I just can’t right now.” It may hurt some feelings. It may take some hard work. But the more you say no to the things that don’t matter, the more you can say yes to things that do. This will let you love and enjoy your life—the life that you want.