If we think about it, we will see that one of the mandates of child rearing involves the use of no in some form because, if a small child is not kept from doing everything he wanted to do, he would probably not survive childhood! Frankly, no one wants to hear the word, no, when we are making choices, but we also understand, often in hindsight, that sometimes no was the right call. In fact, we probably all know some adults who pushed back against noes to their own detriment. If they were lucky their pushback did not injure others along the way, but if they were in positions of power, their resistances could have created real harm.
Living and choosing is learning...
Living and choosing is learning; they cannot fail to be. Otherwise what would be the good reasons for getting older? Even animals have a form of no in the care of their own offspring. We have all seen nature’s own shepherding their young away from harmful behaviors instinctively. Certainly we, supposedly the crown of creation, could take a few lessons from the behaviors of the natural world.
Pause for thought...
Not all noes are helpful or correct, but they can all give us pause for thought, which can be enough in itself. A pause can give us the opportunity for a re-think of a decision. “No” does not mean failure. It may reassure us that our choice is still worthy, or it can simply mean that another way is possible.
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