Have you always struggled with saying exactly what went through your mind, especially when it comes to responding to a request, or giving a true account of things?
Well, it happens to most people, if not all. Well, at least those who have not yet read the book – The Power of No by James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher.
This amazing book, written in 2014 by this couple, opens the mind to the possibilities, the world behind being negative because being positive sometimes gets us nowhere. Now, this negativity is the positive one, if I can call it that because they teach that in saying no to a wide range of things, you open the door to better things coming in.
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The biggest no you say, according to the rules, is to yourself. You have the right to live a healthy, wholesome life, and saying this “no” includes a strong refusal to things that will weigh you down, or try to take that life away from you.
You have the responsibility to make yourself happy, so anything that takes that away from you, even if it is an old habit, you have to say no to it. And a big one at that.
The book is divided between the following No’s:
- The No That Chooses Life: This No explores saying no to suicidal, depressing, discouraging thoughts and opinions. Here, you take the No step by reaching out to someone close by immediately and telling them the sad thoughts running through you so you can get help, or just let it out.
- The No That Brings True Love, Creativity, and Abundance: Here, you are expected to check your inner circle, evaluate what/who pushes you forward and invest in it/them. Also, you’re to let go those that draw you into gloom or negativity.
- The No to Phony Storytelling: The society feeds us with so many clichés and rules that probably do more harm than good. In this No, your job is to sift through them and find your balance, doing exactly what makes you go.
- The No to the “Angers” of the Past: Here, you take an inventory of the things that have happened to you and saying a heady no to the bile that wants to rise up. This basically means dealing with them.
- The No to Scarcity: This is the law of No that instructs that you say only the good stuff about yourself and reject the bad ones, even when things are going wrong.
- The No to Noise: Here, you are encouraged to identify the things that annoy, depress, negatively affect you and shut them out. These can be news on the TV, radio, social media, etc. As soon as it starts, shut it down. Choose to remain in silence rather than listen to the noise. Then channel the silence to work for you.
- The No to “Me”: This very important No also called the ultimate no, is a sort of comfort to the readers. It tells them that since they have said so many nos, the most fulfilling no that’s left is saying yes to oneself. Yes to recreating, reinventing yourself. Yes to becoming who you see. A step back to see how far you’ve come. A stepping aside to watch the Nos work out things for you.
Each of these Nos is fully explained in the book and only a read through would give you the full gist.
This book is sure to boost your morale and give you the backbone to say no, and help you enjoy the weightlessness that comes with saying no for the right reasons.
I remember that after reading this book, I made some serious crucial decisions that I have not had any reason to regret till today, because I was well-informed, purposeful about doing the best for others AND me, and living the wholesome intentional life the Father wants me to have!
Happy Reading!