the n word- 'no'

3-min read: if it's not a 'hell yeah!', it's a 'no'."

hi friends 👋🏾

welcome to Issue 21 of classroom-2-boardroom. This is a 3-min read, no more no less.😇

this week, we’re talking about something we don’t talk about enough- the n-word, ‘no’🙅🏾‍♀️

recently, i found myself at a crossroads, faced with two enticing opportunities: an all-almost-all-expenses-paid trip to Qatar 😃 and a shot at a $5,000 prize. 😳

with the new year just unfolding, these offers were like siren calls. 🤩

i was going to start traveling again- across states, and even across continents. 😎

sure, it seemed tempting but remember what we said about balance? 🤔

you can’t sustain what you can’t balance. 😃

so here's the twist: i said 'no' to both opportunities. 💁🏾‍♀️

yeah yeah i know what you’re thinking- trip to qatar and $5,000- tell me about it. 🫨

but why?

because i realized something crucial 🙂

the best outcomes in life don’t necessarily have multiple inputs;🙅🏾‍♀️

they have few very good inputs. 🤌🏾

sure, the adage goes, "anything worth doing is worth doing well."

but let's not forget, not everything is worth doing. 🙅🏾‍♀️

as Derek Sivers famously said, "If it's not a 'Hell Yeah!', it's a 'no'." 😌

it's far easier to escalate a 'no' to a 'yes' than to downgrade a 'yes' to a 'no'. 😃

agreeing to something means you're signing up for whatever comes next 🫣 – the responsibilities, the commitments, the unforeseen demands. 🙃

yass, saying 'no' is an affirmation with a different vibe. ✌🏾

but don’t get it twisted my friends. 💁🏾‍♀️

saying no is not an escape. 🙅🏾‍♀️

saying no is not a chance to avoid responsibilities. 🫨

in fact, it’s a different type of responsibility. 👌🏾

it's a commitment to the unknown, yass. 🫣

saying no is a commitment to going left when people are going right. 🫡

it's about acknowledging that sometimes, the best decision is to step back, reassess, and focus. 🤤

every 'yes' to something is a 'no' to something else 🤒 – sometimes, even to ourselves and our true aspirations. 🫠

remember my friends- you’re not lesser for saying no, you’re just different. 🫶🏾

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”

i didn’t say that lol- Warren Buffet did 😌

he has his reasons- one of which is that he’s among the top 10 richest people in the world and one of the best-known investors in the world too. 🫣

why did he say that?

because Granny understands that the riches are in the niches. 👌

it's about understanding that our time, attention, and energy are finite resources. 😇

the key is not to become a prolific distributor but to invest them wisely.

your time, attention, and energy are your personal, natural resources. 🫡

finally, legend has it that your no is more powerful than your ‘yes’ 💯

in saying 'no', you're not just closing a door;

you're choosing which doors to open. 🎯

it's about making peace with the paths not taken, knowing that the ones you choose have your full, undivided attention. 🤌🏾

so my friends- what are you saying no to this week, this month, and frankly asking, this year?

Until next time,

DFTBA
Dulra
Founder, Dot.