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Though “no” usually brings to our minds a negative meaning, that’s not always the case. It’s the usage of the word that gives it either a dark or a positive shade.
With emphatic finality, the word “no” echoed in all directions. The statement that followed it, however, melted my heart because it was soaked in pure love! “NO… I want to stay with Mommy,” said my four-year-old, refusing to stay in the adjoining room while I wanted to do a few chores in the next. Well, a “no” can be sweet too at times. That was 19 years ago, and as random thoughts kept encircling the mind, I happened to think about this two-lettered word and its wide connotations.
Among others, “no” figures in the list of baby talk milestones. It’s one of those words that a little ones pick up pretty fast. And it’s indeed so easy to visualize how that happens. For instance, when the child is about to put something inedible into the mouth or is about to touch something dangerous, a parent is heard giving that instant reaction of a “No”!
Though “no” usually brings to our minds a negative meaning, that’s not always the case. It’s the usage of the word that gives it either a dark or a positive shade. It requires a lot of courage and integrity to say “no” to something bad like, for instance, drugs. In this instance, “no” is a vehicle of propriety.
There can be a diametrically opposite scenario. For someone in the habit of lying, a “no” comes in very handy when the person wants to avoid being reprimanded or taking responsibility for something done wrong. That’s the spontaneous reaction that props up. For example, if someone who is caught cheating another individual is asked whether he or she has committed the crime, an answer of “no” is clearly seen as an instrument of deception.
Coming to human interactions, is it easy or hard to say a “no”? It depends on the personality of an individual. Some people are too soft, and no matter what, they just can’t say a “no”. Others are frank and have no inhibitions to respond in the negative if they feel they are not in a position to answer in the affirmative.
At times, just because they can’t muster enough strength to refuse, people end up doing things against their wishes and overcommit their time and energy. Also, it’s the fear of getting rejected that comes in the way of saying a “no” even if one wants to say so. Well, it needs to be understood that we cannot possibly lead a free life if we are continuously bothered about what other people will think about us.
Yes, we need to help our fellow beings, and unless we spread love, good feelings will cease to exist amongst mankind. But it is not wise to end up saying a “yes” instead of a “no” to someone when we know that the task is beyond our reach. Saying “no” does not make us bad people. Rather, by saying a pleasing “yes” even to an impossible task, we are being dishonest to ourselves and to others.
We need to be at peace with the decisions we make. With decency and politeness, we can say a “no” without feeling that we are being mean or selfish. It is important to realize that anyone who expects us to say “yes” to them at all times can never be having our best interests at heart.
One of the easiest things in life is to preach rather than practice, and I wouldn’t want to be charged guilty of doing that. So if I were asked whether I would like to wind up this discussion of “yes” versus “no”, my answer would be a big “YES”!
As I call it a day, here’s a quote from Stephen Covey, an American educator, author, and keynote speaker who has really struck a chord with me: “You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage – pleasantly, smilingly, and non-apologetically – to say no to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger yes burning inside.”
image source: pexels.com
Rashmi Bora Das is a freelance writer settled in the suburbs of Atlanta. She has a master’s degree in English from India, and a second master’s in Public Administration from the University of read more...
This post has published with none or minimal editorial intervention. Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
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We need to stop stereotyping women's bodies, and also be more sensitive towards our children who are growing up with terrible self-confidence leading to loneliness and depression.
When Kate Winslet said, “Young women should enjoy their life instead of worrying about how they look,” it stuck a cord with me. I am one of those women who struggle with body image issues in a society heavily influenced by unrealistic beauty standards and societal expectations, and Kate’s statement was empowering.
I grew up listening to unsolicited advice about wearing clothes a size bigger than what I wear; everyone took a free ride to comment about my bra and how big it was. I have spent most of my life loathing how I look—my size, weight, clothes, appearance, skin tone, and hair. This isn’t because I’m not too fond of how I appear, but rather because I’ve been told repeatedly by most trusted people around me that I have one or more flaws.
It is imperative that, as a society, we shed our stereotypical thought not just to support women but also our children who are growing up with terrible self-confidence leading to loneliness and depression. We can significantly impact our mental health and well-being by fostering a culture of compassion, understanding, and empowerment.
Here are some online tools for startups to use for their tech needs for organising work, mind mapping, ideation, etc.
Most startups are bootstrapped, the budget is low, there is no funding, startups need some support and excellent tools to run the show. The team may be working at one place or the team is spread across the globe, but the team needs to brainstorm. Brainstorming can be fun. Listing few resources which a startup or entrepreneurs can use for brainstorming.
Bubbl.us is an interesting tool which is useful to take notes, brainstorm and organize new ideas, collaborate, and capture thoughts. It allows you to avoid distraction by focusing on task, to collaborate and share with friends, families, team and social media. Essentially no hassle of downloading any app, works on mobile and desktop. You can use the basic plan to explore and later subscribe for at $4.91/month, $59 billed annually.
Miro offers the quickest, easiest way for teams to capture, organize and visualize thoughts, solutions, ideas across the team. Other than brainstorming, it can be used for project planning, creating organizational charts and sales strategies. It runs on all devices: mobile, tablet, desktop or interactive display.
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