I used to really struggle to say this word. And it's a simple word to say. It's just that it can really take the wind out of..
Enough hyperbole. Saying 'no' (in inverted commas as it's as important, if not more so at times, than saying YES), as I've learned in the last decade or so, is essential at times to get the work done, that holiday booked, that house cleaned and to have that hour or so in the day to savour one good, hot cooked meal. I'm serious.
Think about the last time you felt a little burdended by something you committed to, and then sort of regretted later. You know the sort of thing I'm talking about; saying yes to everything, for fear of not wanting to appear rude or impolite or just not wanting to miss out. That's why the following article resonated with me immediately. Or at least the part of me that reminisces about the old days :-
How to Graciously Say No to Anyone
There's also a cultural thing I feel, about being the one who says no a lot, or even at all. For example, I've seen the 'polite refusers' in a large extended family become treated as covert pariahs ( think about that one), many a time, with invites to weddings and so on, eventually becoming scant in their direction. Modern life is much more of a juggling and balancing act, which some may argue is a scenario we have self perpetuated with our own increasing needs and desires, but in any case, to use myself as an example, saying yes to everything would mean i'd need 8 days in a week. Which I don't have.
None of this is to be confused with the positive/motivational aspects of 'going for it!' and saying yes to opportunities, as that's more to do with targeted effort and prioritised thinking and execution of energy. But saying no is ultimately an artform; getting it right is heartfelt common sense, in my opinion.
Speaking of opinion, I enjoyed the following article as it resonated with the musician in me. I wrote a similar article myself, which is here. I talked more about not wanting the album to die, as a product. Mat Honan, the author of the following article, talks about how the mp3 revolution has lead to the death of your music collection as something that can define you as a person :-
On Death and iPods: A Requiem
What isn't mentioned here, is the knock on effect to the value of music per se, in terms of fiscal value, across a number of directly related and peripheral industries. There is a whole generation for whom the aforementioned value of music isn't a 'written in stone' rule anymore, and the early incarnations of mp3 related download sites had a lot to do with that.
As in my own aforementioned article, the value of an album of music is also hanging in the balance. In any event, im grateful there is still an industry around music and that people are still willing to pay for an album or indeed any form of music related product, because I feel and have always felt that it is one of the purest forms of expression available, and it'd be a shame if less and less people are supported to share their work.
Speaking of support, I'll finish with something more revelatory on the whole mystery of Stonehenge, which I covered here, last week :-
Underground Mapping Reveals Secrets of Stonehenge
It's
good to know that this location is finally going to be less of a
mystery than it has been for at least a couple of centuries to the rest
of the world. It's also heart warming to know that a lot of mystics and
very deeply inclined spiritual types were probably more closer to the
truth regards what the monument and it's associated location were all
about, than previously thought.
There's obviously more work to be done
here, and consequently, there's more to be revealed. I find the concept
of the 'big reveal' really fascinating, and am personally looking
forward to the 'what's how's and why's', so to speak, behind the entire
scenario of the area.
And speaking of concepts, it's
time for me to go over something in a nearby project book ( one of three
at the moment), which sounds a little 'skool days', but I like keeping
a pad or jotter handy to scribble stuff in and then flesh out things
quite rapidly if necessary. Somehow this style of workflow gets lost in
the ironically 'instant and fast' world of technology, even though I
have two laptops, a smartphone and so on. I'm aware of the availability
of various apps to aid in this, but not one of them have bitten me hard
enough in order to induce a full on switchover or even a halfway house style
methodology.
The pen ( and pencil) is still mightier
than the mouse or trackpad for quick-draw conceptualisation. At least
for me. At least for now, anyway.
Is that odd? Well, it depends upon the
perspective taken, which in itself depends on which side of the
innovatory fence you're straddling at that moment in time. Ultimately, it all boils down to saying yes or no to the tools at your disposal, which in themselves are all means to an end.
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