One of the biggest fears is the fear of getting a NO.
Getting a NO feels like rejection. It feels like another piece of evidence that “I’m not good enough”.
The irony is that pretty much our entire lives are made of NOs. It’s the nature of life.
If the energy (thoughts, feelings) around getting a NO doesn’t change life becomes a drag, something to be afraid of or avoid and resist rather than fully participate in and celebrate.
I want to offer you a quick process for handling a NO in a useful way – in a way that not only does it not make you avoid NOs (and therefore avoid LIFE) but it even empowers you to celebrate them.
Here it is. Next time you put yourself out there and you get a NO…
Step #1 DON’T MAKE IT MEAN ANYTHING ABOUT YOU! It doesn’t!
Step #2 THOUGHT: NOs are an essential part of life and the only path to a YES – nobody gets YESes only. Nobody!
Step #3 THOUGHT: “THANK YOU” (Universe, God, Infinite Intelligence, Spirit, whatever your word is) for protecting me from accepting something much smaller now because there’s something much better and bigger available for me. This NO is just the placeholder that I need to keep the space open for that bigger and better thing.
Step #4 MOVE ON
That’s it. Simple. And it works!
The added benefit from learning to be okay with NOs – and to celebrate them – is you put yourself out there a lot more…
And apart from getting more YESes, putting yourself out there inspires others.
It’s one of the purest forms of Leadership… because by giving yourself permission to consistently step towards the unfamiliar you empower others to consider giving themselves the same permission, too!
And, here’s the biggest one…
Every NO you ever get has always ALWAYS been preceded by a YES – to yourself!