Home Research Case Studies Overwhelm Fifty Shades of “No”

Fifty Shades of “No”

6 min read
0
1
102

After the final ‘no’ there comes a ‘yes’ and upon that ‘yes’ the
future of the world depends. – Wallace Stevens

Prior to being invited to write this piece, I didn’t know the source of this quotation. The first time I heard it was when the remarkable Joan Holmes, CEO of The Hunger Project, was training me as a fund raiser. When debriefing an unsuccessful attempt she would often say, “Well Mick, that’s just one more ‘no’ on the road to ‘yes’.” How refreshing! Somehow it washed away all of the explaining and rationalizing.

It was then that I first began to explore the power of ‘no’. Consider your own experience as you take a moment to say ‘no’ a few times, and then to say ‘yes’ a few times. When I do this, I notice that when I say ‘no’ I experience far more power and possibility. ‘No’ has the power to open up new thinking, new action, turn around and change.

I’ve come to realize that it’s important to examine what I feel inside when I say a clear ‘no’. It puts the conversation into the domain of reality not theory. Kabir(1) says that until we have experienced something, it is not real, no matter how many holy books we’ve looked through or how many gods sculpted of wood and ivory we’ve consulted. What I usually feel following a clear ‘no’ is quiet, calm, and at ease – a surprising experience of harmony!

I recall a senior colleague who was overwhelmed by his job. Twelve hour days were routine. When I asked if he would prefer to make it eight hour days his look said, “Are you crazy?” I introduced him to a coach, who in turn introduced him to the power of saying ‘no’.

Pages 1 2 3 4 5 6
Download Article 1K Club
Load More Related Articles
  • Trust, The Enabling Context For The Emergence Of Truth

    The truth looks different when viewed from different points of view. One wise man observed…
Load More By Mick Crews
  • The Memory of Flight

    When I met Camille B., she was no longer able to fly. She stood atop the damp coffee house…
  • The Hero’s Journey: A Case Study

    In this essay I explore the potential healing power of mythology and its use as a professi…
  • A Perfect Paradox

    My Doctor says that results are dangerous. I was aware of so many peoples’ lives in compan…
Load More In Overwhelm

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

The Memory of Flight

When I met Camille B., she was no longer able to fly. She stood atop the damp coffee house…