YES or NO? It Depends - Grasshopper

This trickled out into conversation the other day: "You can always come back from a NO. Coming back from a YES leads to disappointment."

I'm all for saying YES but only if I intend to back it up with the information requested or the action I promised.

 

Saying NO is often a "Maybe," but YES leads to expectation.

 

Based on my experience, saying, YES and not following through is at an all-time high. This prompts me to revisit one of my favorite quotes from Werner Erhard, "The reason life doesn't work is because people don't keep their agreements."

 

Think of someone who constantly disappoints and I will show you a "Yes-Man/Woman." Perhaps the disappointer is you. There is an easy fix. Start saying NO.

 

"But I don't want to hurt their feelings." When you don't do what you say you'll do, the hurt you cause is even more painful to them.

 

We're all guilty of saying YES when we mean NO. If it happens once in a blue moon, no harm, no foul. If it's your regular routine, it's just plain mean.

 

Say, YES to the universe, but say, NO when you don't know. YES will put your answer in quick drying cement; NO will keep you from dishing out lament.

 

This is a long way of saying, "Do what you say you're going to do." By doing so, you'll soon become known as a person who comes through.

 

All the best,

John