NO

The Most Powerful Two-Letter Word

Now I know some may beg to differ but, I truly consider this word to be the most powerful two-letter word that I know of and it’s directly linked to your self-empowerment. The thing is, many of us find it difficult to use this simple word, especially when necessary. Well, let’s look closer to see why this is the case and how you can empower yourself with this simple 2-letter word.

You guessed it, that most powerful two-letter word is “No”. See, Nancy Reagan and the founders of the “No Means No” movement understood the power of this word. That’s precisely why it became part of their slogans. From early childhood we learn the word “no”, what it means and how to say it. So, why do so many of us have a challenge with this word and when to use it or how?

Let’s start with the “Just Say No” campaign. They were aware of the fact that children, teens and young adults were being offered or coerced into trying drugs. They also knew, that due to the psychological need to be accepted, to be “cool” or to “fit in”, many were discouraged from just saying “no” to doing something they’re not comfortable with. They may just nervously say things like, “well, I don’t know”, “my parents told me not to”, “maybe just this one time” or anything other than simply “no”!

The interesting thing about the “No Means No” cases is that young women had actually said the word “no” but were still taken advantage of. In other instances, you may have heard of women who still did not consent to any sexual acts or advancements, but may have been intimidated and afraid to just say the actual word “no”. So, they may just respond with, “wait, but we just met”, “I like you, but not that way”, “I don’t think we should” or again, anything other than just “no”.

Even as a parent, I had to learn the power of this word. My kids would continually ask over and over for something and I would reply with the vague, parental response, “well, we’ll see” or “maybe later”. Because I love them and didn't want to hurt their feelings, I was saying everything except “no”. The children just interpret that as a delayed “yes”. They just keep asking you over and over, hoping to wear you down. I realized I had to be more honest and direct with my children and I started to clearly say, “no” to some of the things they asked for. Of course, they would sometimes respond with a “why not?”, but the asking me over and over again, ceased and they would soon get the point.

The word “No” is just one of many words of empowerment we should be comfortable with using. When we are afraid to use it or neglect to use it, we are giving our power away which can over time, have a negative impact on our psyche and social well-being. Start by understanding that as a human being, you have a right as well as a responsibility to say “no” when necessary.

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