How to Say No (And Say Yes to the Right Things)

Success means you say no to the majority of people who ask for your time. Here is how to say no in an assertive yet polite manner to save your resources.

On the path to create your dream life, it’s inevitable that you say no to the majority of opportunities and people who ask for your time, as explained in the Manifestation Miracle course. You have only a limited amount of resources to invest in your dream, therefore you will most likely say no to everything else, if you want to succeed.

But saying no can be hard and feel uncomfortable, especially if you prefer to avoid confrontation. This kind of behavior can lead you to having to do work and tasks that you don’t enjoy or consider important. That’s why knowing how to say no in an assertive yet polite manner is important.

Saying Yes is Saying No

One of the reasons why it’s difficult to say no is that you fear you may risk your relationship with the other person. Whether it be in family, friendships, or the office, saying no is tough because mostly you don’t want to disappoint or hurt the other person’s feelings.

But if you say yes, you are saying no to something else. If you say yes to working overtime at the office, you say no to your personal time that you can use to rest, go out with friends, or work on your personal project (building a dream life).

If you say yes to a request from a friend or family, then you say no to other people who require your time or help, and you say no to whatever you wanted to do instead. Doing this behavior can make you feel annoyed, frustrated, and feel like you never have time to do what’s important for you.

Know What’s Important

It’s important to know what’s important. It means knowing what you should be doing, instead of what other people ask you to do. In other words, you need to be clear on your long-term vision.

Whenever someone asks you for help, you can help them if it’s a small favor. But if it requires commitment, or if it takes you away from your long-term vision, then you can say no.

Saying no to requests that are not beneficial is obvious, but what about saying no to opportunities? At first, they might sound good, but turn out to be a waste of resources in the long-term. Here is where having a vision is useful, as you can check whether you ought to say yes or no based on the vision you have.

Saying No to Family and Friends

Saying no to opportunities also means saying no to relationships and friendships. Some friendships and relationships only exist but aren’t beneficial or healthy for the people involved.

If there are these types of relationships in your life that consume a lot of your time, it might be a good idea to say no them. You can either end the relationship outright, or you can minimize the interaction within it.

The benefit of saying no to these relationships is that you open up space for the right relationships to enter into your life. Maybe you can meet great friends who support your vision or find the right romantic partner for the rest of your life.

Four Steps to Say No Politely

There is a way to politely say no so that you won’t feel bad for saying it. First, realize that saying no is OK and that it is unhealthy to always say yes to requests. We live in a culture where obedience is rewarded with security and stability, so it tricks our mind into thinking saying no is bad, but it’s not.

Second, set clear boundaries for when to say yes and when to say no. If you don’t have enough resources, then say no. If you don’t have the time, then say no. If it doesn’t align with your long-term vision, then say no.

Third, it’s important to give an alternative solution. If you can’t say yes, maybe refer someone who can fulfill the request instead, or propose a different specific date and time. Giving an alternative means that you genuinely want to help the other person even though you personally can’t right now.

Finally, know that you have value. You can give this value freely to the causes that align with your vision and what you care about in this world. You can give your value at a professional price to the people who want to do business with you. But you shouldn’t give you value for free or at a low price to people who don’t properly appreciate your worth.