The Power of No
In the process of letting go, there is a key word that we need to restore to our vocabulary.
That word is “no.”
No lets us steer clear of accumulating more stuff. No lets us set boundaries in our relationships with others. No lets us break bad habits, like drinking, eating, smoking and many others.
Maybe we just need practice saying no in front of a mirror, or just in a quiet place by ourselves, or perhaps silently in our heads as we walk through the shopping center or have the urge to satisfy one of the bad habits mentioned above.
For a humorous and fun example of the power of saying no, I have included a video clip from a movie that I watched recently called “Seven Psychopaths.”
The scene starts slowly with Christopher Walken’s character walking out of the desert to a small diner, so hang in for about 30-40 seconds until the dialogue starts.
(Disclaimer: there is some offensive language at the tail end of the clip, so stop playback at the 1:20 mark if you do not wish to hear it.)
I love this scene. Walken’s delivery is how I imagine myself saying “no” to many things in my life that need to hear it.
Our culture has been so obsessed with saying “yes” to everything that the word “no” can have a truly shocking effect.
Of course, please use this new-found power wisely and not indiscriminately, and by all means share it with others!