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#Microblog Monday 204: Yes + No

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This blew my mind: every yes is also a no.  When you say yes to something, you are, invariably, saying no to other things.  Usually those other things are not a sacrifice or missed at all.  But sometimes they are, so you have to consider all the noes (the plural of no!) if you’re a person who says yes a lot.

Saying yes to writing this post means saying no reading a book.  Hanging out with the twins.  Cleaning the house.

That definitely makes me rethink how I approach saying yes.

Think back to your last yes.  What did you say no to?

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1. Linda @ Circle of Daydreams 9. Journeywoman 17. Charlotte
2. Anamika Agnihotri 10. torthuil 18. Counting Pink Lines
3. Mali (A Separate Life) 11. Cristy 19. Pr@ gun
4. Mali (No Kidding) 12. Not My Lines Yet 20. Suzy at Someday Somewhere
5. Lori @Laughing IS Conceivable 13. Failing at Haiku 21. Inexplicably Missing
6. Jenn P 14. Jess 22. Parul Thakur | Happiness and Food
7. Raven 15. Stephanie (Travelcraft Journal)
8. Isabelle 16. Loribeth (The Road Less Travelled)

16 comments

1 Linda @ Circle of Daydreams { 07.23.18 at 5:48 am }

So true… I often use the similar idea related to making decisions to get myself motivated….. By not making a decision or procrastinating, I’ve still actually made a decision… to do nothing. So, I may as well actually take control of the situation and decide ‘yay or nay’ rather than just suffering the default position by making no decision at all. Then again, I’ve often heard advice along the lines of ‘don’t make a decision until you’re actually ready, as when you are, the decision will be much clearer…. it’s okay to wait if the situation you’re waiting in isn’t hurting you or others in any way’. By saying ‘yes’ to watching the Tour de France until 2 in the morning at the moment, I’m saying ‘no’ to waking up feeling like I can tackle the day with half a brain. (: One week to go.

2 Anamika Agnihotri { 07.23.18 at 8:07 am }

I am a person who doesn’t say a yes easily while it comes easily to say no. It has taken years of practice not to say yes when I don’t mean to but now the problem is not to say a no outrightly. Yet, I get your point because when I said yes to writing my mandatory Monday post, I said no to cleaning the house and cooking which means lunch will have to be a quick fix today 🙂

3 Lori Shandle-Fox { 07.23.18 at 8:56 am }

Going back to sleep. I’m okay with that. Saying “yes” can also open up more “yeses”By saying “yes” to getting up at 5 am to work, I’m also saying “yes” to spending more time with my kids before they go back to school on Friday. By the time they get up, I’m already half-way done with my work day.

4 Raven { 07.23.18 at 9:54 am }

Hmm..this is certainly food for thought. I always here how I need to say yes more, and yes is the way to live a happy life…but I like this idea. It’s really true – when you say yes to one thing, you say no to others. That certainly helps to weigh out the pros and cons of any situation!

5 Lori Lavender Luz { 07.23.18 at 11:20 am }

I said Yes to taking a teen to a store in a few minutes. I’m sure it means I’m saying No to a lot of things!

Perhaps it’s my background in economics, but I do tend to think of yes/no as a trade-off.

6 Sharon { 07.23.18 at 12:21 pm }

Last thing I said yes to: playing a game with my son when I should have been working. Oops. Probably a good decision in the overall scheme of life but doesn’t necessarily feel like one when I have piles of work awaiting my attention.

7 Journeywoman { 07.23.18 at 12:48 pm }

My saying yes to finishing my book has meant saying no to a lot of things. There is a trade off and sometimes you have to do it.

8 torthúil { 07.23.18 at 1:27 pm }

I do like the yes and no idea. The way I have put it to myself in the past is that every decision requires a sacrifice, even the decisions that appear to be easy and involve only desirable options. I find this idea keeps me grounded.

9 Cristy { 07.23.18 at 2:58 pm }

Very true (though I hadn’t thought of it that way). So does that mean every no is a yes?

10 Jess { 07.23.18 at 5:20 pm }

I love this, so much. I said yes to cleaning and organizing my office today at the expense of reading time, but it was so worth it. I think it will be nice, too, to think on things you said “no” to, and instead of feeling guilty, think on what you said “yes” to instead. Flipping it a bit. I have been trying to do this more this year, and not saying yes to things (when I can) when I would really much rather spend my precious time doing other things. Interesting outlook!

11 Stephanie (Travelcraft Journal) { 07.23.18 at 5:50 pm }

That’s interesting – I’ve heard this said the other way around. Saying no to something that isn’t that important to you means saying yes to the things you really care about.

12 Charlotte { 07.23.18 at 7:12 pm }

I mean, yeah, it’s a simple concept that makes sense. But it is so much more complex when you break it down that way, when it comes to saying Yes, anyway. When it comes to saying No, it’s pretty clear what you aren’t saying Yes to.

13 Mali { 07.24.18 at 12:29 am }

Saying “yes” to helping someone last week ended up with it being thrown back in my face, so it may lead to me saying “no” in the future. I know that’s not quite what the idea is aimed at, but it is top of mind at the moment. And by saying “yes” to someone close to me means I’ve said “no” to many things I’d rather be doing. Sigh. Yes, today I’m not in a good mood!

14 Suzy { 07.24.18 at 6:14 am }

An interesting way of looking at yes and no. Gave me some food for thought. Said no to catching the early bus so yes to 1/2 an hour of extra sleep. I like that no!

15 Inexplicably { 07.24.18 at 6:39 am }

I agree, YES means rejecting something else (A concept that may be hard to accept for a FOMO sufferer). I guess that’s why you need to know yourself and what you really want. Each choice you make is making a stand of some kind. Typing this I am missing out on paying full attention to Suits. Does anyone else find Rachel to be a really annoying character?

16 Parul Thakur { 07.24.18 at 8:16 am }

That is some reflection. I say Yes a lot and now your words have left me wondering what all have I said no to?
I also think, every time we say no – it means missing on what could be a good ‘yes’. An opportunity to on a trek. Fighting fear. etc.

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