February 22, 2012

The Kinds of "No"


Life is filled with questions: what to wear, who to date, when to buy, where to live, what to bring, when to stop, etc. The list continues. And, to ice the cake, every question corresponds to its own unique amount of risk or rejection. I blogged this topic once, but today I remembered something someone once told me, "A person has to be wise enough to know the type of no he's getting. In general, there are two kinds..."
  • No, not now
  • No, not ever

We are conditioned to accept that rejection is always the latter kind and forget that, actually, "no" contains its own shade of grey. It's a simple word with a nuanced degree of meaning. Aside from the doubt and even frustration this tiny word brings, "No" challenges us to understand more about ourselves. It is the champion word of the underdog and dark-horse; the encouraging word of the meek and hardworking. Sometimes, no is the invitation to yes.

Challenge your next encounter with no. Consider its different meanings given your specific context. Ask yourself, what kind of no am I receiving?


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