The Freedom Of Saying No
Pitfalls and Launchpads, Logic and Love, Discomfort Now, Freedom Later
Curious
Pitfalls and launchpads:
Much of life is avoiding pitfalls, not necessarily expediting successes.
- Chris Williamson, Modern Wisdom
Ideally, you foresee pitfalls and avoid them. That said, speaking from experience, the discomfort of pitfalls is often necessary to learn what you don’t want, to move toward more of what you do.
Thanks to the discomfort of not pursuing any passions with real intent throughout my twenties, I decided to put my full focus into writing and fitness over the past year.
This week, Live Free grew to over 1000 readers (having started with no base), and I ran a 111-kilometre ultramarathon for my birthday, both of which came from committing to what feels true to me but started from experiencing the discomfort of what wasn’t.
The point of sharing this isn’t about the accomplishments, though. It’s to emphasise the joy, energy, and fulfilment that have arisen from using the previous pitfall as a launchpad toward more of who I am.
So, if you’re stuck in a pitfall right now, it doesn’t have to be a dead end. It’s one perspective shift away from being a launchpad.
Conscious
Logic and love:
Logic isn’t always congruent with love. What the mind and heart want aren’t always the same. If in doubt, start from the heart.
Change
Discomfort now, freedom later:
When a decision feels like a ‘no’ but you ignore intuition and say ‘yes’, I’ve noticed within myself that it’s either fear or habit leading the charge.
Often, you end up experiencing a short-term feeling of ease accompanied by a future feeling of regret. Whereas, initially, when you say no, there will be discomfort but a sustained sense of freedom in the long term.
When you say no to what doesn’t matter, you say yes to your peace and happiness, both of which are central to living well and free.
LVN Stories
shares the lessons she learned from saying yes to what wasn’t true to her.What lessons have you learned about saying no?
Live Free,
Niall
Thanks Niall 🙏
Congratulations on completing the marathon. That is fantastic!! ⭐️