The Power of NO

The power and quality of our NO actually creates the power and quality of our YES! YES supports risk-taking, courage, and an open-hearted approach to life whose grace cannot be minimized. But NO – a metal grate that slams shut the window between one’s self and the influence of others – is rarely celebrated. It’s a hidden power because it is both easily misunderstood and difficult to engage. Wielded wisely, NO is an instrument of integrity and a shield against exploitation. It often takes courage to say. It is hard to receive. But setting limits sets us free.

NO, as a psychological tool, is the doorway to setting boundaries and it creates space for self-care. It creates freedom from peer pressure, needing to be liked, needing to appeased, or needing to keep up with “the Joneses.” NO, used from a place of inner wisdom, creates freedom from unconscious, habitual obligations, setting us free to explore the limitless possibilities of Life.

There is an equally important spiritual NO. It is the ability to look into life, into condition, and deny its spiritual power. Ernest Holmes reminds us that “No matter what the false condition may be, it must be refuted. The proper kind of a denial is based upon the recognition that, in reality, there is no limitation.”

Denial in our spiritual work “is the mental act of knowing that any negative condition need not be. Denial clears the way for the realization of Truth; it is a wiping out of wrong reasoning. It is a clearing of the ground, a dredging of the mental channels, preparatory to the building of positive, constructive affirmations.” Thus our powerful NO creates the space for an even more deeply grounded Sacred YES.

To help us in our exploration, we are diving into our book of the month, The Power of No by James and Claudia Altucher.

Book of the Month

The Power of No by James and Claudia Altucher

How many times have you heard yourself saying yes to the wrong things—overwhelming requests, bad relationships, time-consuming obligations? How often have you wished you could summon the power to turn them down? This lively, practical guide helps you take back that power—and shows that a well-placed “No” can not only save you time and trouble, it can save your life.

Drawing on their own stories as well as feedback from their readers and students, James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher clearly show that you have the right to say no: To anything that is hurting you. To standards that no longer serve you. To people who drain you of your creativity and expression. To beliefs that are not true to the real you. When you do, you’ll be freed to say a truly powerful “Yes” in your life—one that opens the door to opportunities, abundance, and love.