A Big Word With Only Two Letters~Inspirational Reads Chapters 11 and 12
The Intentional Mom Planning System is where you need to start with our incredible collection of product options. It will help you establish the basics for your life & home so you’ll finally have a plan, save yourself time, and go to bed feeling like you accomplished something every day (because you did). Save up to 60% HERE!
No. Only two letters, but such a powerful word. It is a word that can be feared by the one who speaks it, and it cause fear, disappointment, or a collection of other negative feelings for the person who hears it.
No is a word that kids generally don’t like to hear when they are young, but it is a word that they sometimes use as a weapon of sorts when they get older, and adults can so often shy away from this word entirely.
Over the years, I have gotten more comfortable and confident in using the word no, and I have learned to worry less about the effect that my no may have upon others. I have also gotten better at receiving a no, however, I think there is always room to improve in this area. My goal is to master the art of graciously accepting the word no as much as it is a goal for me to learn to master the art of graciously delivering a no to either myself or someone else.
No is a very protective word, really.
(this post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you)
In the Best Yes, the author is so correct in saying that often we do know when we should give no as an answer long before we often deliver the no to someone. And as she says, nothing good ever comes from the delay. In all reality, I do not like knowing that I’ve got a no to deliver hanging over my head. In most cases, I have learned that delivering that no promptly is always always a relief.
I love the power in learning the best way to communicate the best no to someone else. The author goes on to demonstrate how this means acknowledging the request so the person understands that they have been heard and that attention has been paid to that request.
One of my favorite things from these two chapters was when Lysa quotes Brené Brown who speaks of saying no as a good thing since it keeps us from being resentful later.
Isn’t that true? When I find myself saying yes when I should have said no, I am almost always resentful toward that person even though I was the one who said yes.
In chapter 12, the author reminds us that we should not allow the disappointment of others to dictate the decision we make.
This nugget of wisdom is one that I didn’t want you to miss…our ability to say no dictates whether we want to be a yes girl or a Best Yes Girl.
You may want to read that again.
Chapter 12 draws to a close reminding us that if we are seeking God’s will for our lives and going where He leads, we will know what should get our Best Yes, and we can then respond with a no in confidence.
Check this one out. The author states:
“Saying yes all the time won’t make me Wonder Woman. It will make me a worn-out woman.”
Now that is some powerful truth!
The thoughts shared in this post were inspired by a chapter in The Best Yes. This is a book that were are reading together as a community beginning February 22nd, 2016. We are reading just three chapters a week in this book.
Even if you are not reading along with us this time, you can still pick up your own copy and gain the wisdom you need in making wise decisions in the midst of endless demands.
The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands
Here is a bit more about our book club…
This book club is a way of encouraging others to carve out the time to read at a pace of just three chapters a week because I’ve learned that finding time to read never just happens on its own.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday there will be blog posts here with Monday’s Inspirational Reads somewhere in the title with my reaction to each of the three chapters for the week, and then on Thursday evening at 9 pm EST we will be on Periscope discussing the chapters in an interactive format. You can find everything you need to know about Periscope by reading The Periscope Lowdown.
All you have to do is grab your book above, and you’re good to go! We’d love to have you join it, otherwise, grab your own copy and read any of the posts with Monday’s Inspirational Reads in the title and you can join in on your own time!
