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When Is It Okay to Say No?

Nobody but you can answer this question.

Murray "MJ" Blehart
6 min readJan 31, 2024
a round chip in someone’s hand that says no
Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash

All around us, there are messages recommending that we say yes. Say yes to new experiences, new people, new opportunities, and on and on. What’s more, “yes” has become associated with positivity and “no” with negativity at the most basic levels.

The result we tend to experience from this is that, often, saying “no” is seen as selfish, undesirable, and utterly negative. When you say “no” you close doors rather than open them. You set yourself and others up for failure and worse. Saying “no” keeps you small, impedes growth, and active change.

Of course, sometimes this is true. However, that’s situational. Depending on where you are, who you’re with, what you’re doing, and other factors, saying “no” does get in your way.

Yet there are also times when saying no is to your benefit. This is particularly pertinent to your health, wellness, and wellbeing,

When “no” is good for you

If there is a toxic person in your life, saying no to them can mean the difference between the suffering of the slow removal of a bandage versus the swiftness of ripping it off.

Often, saying no to someone toxic comes with pain. That pain, however, is a product of that toxic person or someone…

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Murray "MJ" Blehart
Murray "MJ" Blehart

Written by Murray "MJ" Blehart

I explore mindfulness, positivity, philosophy, & conscious reality creation. I love to help & inspire. Also, I write sci-fi/fantasy. http://mjblehart.com

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