When you think about positivity and optimism, the word yes is one of the words that comes to mind. On the other hand, the word no has a negative connotation and if you say no a lot, you’re considered a downer, a negative energy, a party pooper, and etc. But I’m learning quickly, with this journey to becoming financially responsible, that no can mean yes and no has a positive connotation to life, just not to frivolous material things.
I realized that when I was trying to keep up with the Joneses, the major problem I had was not being able to say no which kept me going with the overspending. Sometimes I couldn’t say no and sometimes I didn’t want to say no. I was afraid I was going to miss out on life and be a poor loner if I kept saying no. But saying no to temptation to buy things that I can’t afford is actually saying yes to living under our means and saying yes to being free of debt or at least no more debt. I just didn’t realize how no has two sides and I was only focusing on the negative side of it.
To motivate myself to continue on this path of financial yellow brick road to the land of financial freedom, I’m going to list the times when no means yes.
- No to dining out means Yes to healthier homemade meals.
- No to going to the theater means Yes to having a cozy home movie marathon night.
- No to going shopping with friends just for fun means Yes to reading books or taking a walk.
- No to using credit cards to fund an expensive vacation means Yes to having a cheap but creative vacation without credit cards.
- No to buying things now means Yes to waiting until the item goes on sale to save money and making better choices.
- No to buying vending machine snacks or coffee shop trips means Yes to less caffeine and more bulk bought snacks from home.
- No to impulse shopping for an expensive fashion items means Yes to carefully planned wardrobe to last longer.
I can’t think of any more right now, but I would love to hear more ideas about when No means Yes. It’s about having the right perspective and keeping good balance to motivate myself.
I love the new picture! I definitely think perspective is everything when it comes to this process. I think saying no to going out friends and spending a lot on food/drinks and saying yes to an early start in the morning for a workout is how I justify not going out as much. I saved money and gained good health, so it became positive. Great post!
I need to start putting my energy into living a healthy life like you. I never work out and I’m like the slowest runner ever! But I gotta start some where. Maybe I’ll do a 10 minute jog and work my way up. Thanks~
Mine to add to the list would be “No to expensive salon blonde highlights, Yes to embracing my inner Brunette goddess”
Great post Michelle!
^^ That’s a great idea~ I usually color my hair to chestnut brown and it’s time for a touch up. But I’ll leave it the way it is.