Episode #18: The Art of Saying No

Saying no can be difficult but saying yes to everything isn’t healthy or productive. In this episode, Rick and Rusty discuss why, when, and how a man should confidently say no to a request and how this can improve his ability to do the more important things better.

Outline

1. WHY TO SAY NO
   • What Happens When We Say Yes To Everything
     • Something Suffers. There Is Not Enough Time To Do Everything Well
     • We Will Miss Out On More Important Opportunities Because We’ve Already Committed To A Less Important “Yes”
   • Why do we feel obligated to say yes
     • We don’t want to disappoint
     • We want to achieve and grow
     • we feel the need to pick up the slack of others
     • we want to impress others
     • we feel like people are watching / judging
2. WHEN TO SAY NO
   • Matthew  5:37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
   • Take Time To Consider The Question
   • Don’t Feel Pressured To Answer Right Away
   • Does The Request Line Up With Your Priorities
   • Does The Request Conflict With A Previous Commitment
   • Is The Request Ethical And In Line With Your Beliefs
   • Will Saying Yes Cause Another Commitment To Suffer, Including Family
   • Galatians 5:22-23 ESV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (emphasis added)
3. HOW TO SAY NO
   • Create A Filter To Process Decisions
   • Don’t Feel Rushed Into A Decision
   • Set Boundaries On Your Time And Commitments
   • Don’t Feel The Need To Apologize Or Explain Every Time You Say No
   • Be Kind, Respectful, And Caring When Saying No

Resources

https://www.scienceofpeople.com/how-to-say-no/

https://hbr.org/2020/09/learn-when-to-say-no