Most of us have to go through certain circumstances in which we want to say NO, that may be to our friends, family, boss or someone close. It can be due to many reasons, maybe due to peer pressure, lack of knowledge or some other reason but we are not glad with the consequences we have to face subsequently.
Some of the ways to say NO are listed below:
1 : Round Up Courage
Sometimes, it simply takes a chunk of courage to say NO, which is easier said than done but if we are able to gather courage at the right moment, it can literally save us a lot of trouble. It is a strenuous task when we say NO for the first time but later on it keeps on becoming easier as days pass on.
“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”
― J.K. Rowling
2 : Withstanding Peer Pressure
Peer pressure, merely two words however affect decision making of many individuals. Sometimes due to peer pressure, most of the people get themselves in a mess which they could have averted by simply saying NO. Generally, this happens with people when they try to be cool before their friends or some other people.
“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”
― Bruce Lee
3 : Inner Voice
Whenever you are in a dilemma that you should say NO, or go with the flow then the one element that can guide you is your own inner voice. It will not be ambivalent and helps you to take the correct path most of the time.
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
― Steve Jobs
4 : Conversation With Elders
Communicating with elders is very fruitful as they have experience that can guide you to the right road when you are in an enigma of what to do and will give you pragmatic solution to stay out of the situation that may be adverse for you to deal with.
“The only source of knowledge is experience.”
― Albert Einstien
5 : Good Circle
Good circle is the one which understands you and respects your decisions. If you are having a good circle then it’s not a hurdle to say NO as no one will try to influence your decision.
“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”
― Epictetus
6 : Stay Firm On Your Principles
We should always stay firm on our principles no matter how tough situation may be because principles form the basis of our character. We should not let anything shake our principles, and say NO to things that are not in accord with our principles.
“It is easier to fight for one’s principles than to live up to them.”
― Alfred Adler
7 : Why?
We should question ourselves before doing anything that may create a havoc for us. We should ask, why are we doing this thing?, what will we get by doing it?, etc. Finally if we get negative answers, we should say NO.
“At the end of the day, the questions we ask of ourselves determine the type of people that we will become.”
― Leo Babauta
8 : Consequences
The most important thing that we should keep in mind are the consequences that we have to face subsequently. We should always keep in mind the consequences of our actions then it will become easier to say NO.
“We are free to choose our paths, but we can’t choose the consequences that come with them.”
― Sean Covey
These are not the only approaches that you can look forward to say NO, it depends on individual to individual and circumstances one has to face. We can say that these are the most typical ones.