Key Takeaways
- Saying no is one of the most important skills for making real change.
- It applies to others, like requests that don't fit your schedule, and to yourself, like habits you're trying to break.
- Pick one thing and practice saying no to it, politely but firmly, every day for a year.
Many people start the new year hoping for change but don't actually change anything. Dr. Parsons says that's often because they haven't mastered one of the most important words in their vocabulary: no.
Saying No to Others
If someone asks you to run an errand or take something on that doesn't fit your schedule, or you simply don't want to, it's okay to say no. Dr. Parsons points to her team member Rachel, who is comfortable saying, "No, thank you for thinking of me." Many people aren't comfortable doing that.
Saying No to Yourself
Saying no also applies to yourself, like turning down the goodies or candy you've decided to cut back on. As Dr. Parsons puts it, if you can't stay in agreement with yourself, you can't move forward with whatever you want to create in your life.
Start With One Thing
If saying no doesn't come naturally, pick one thing to change and practice saying no to it every day for a full year. Say it with a smile, graciously and politely, but firmly. Dr. Parsons is confident you'll come out of the year a different person.
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Read the full video transcript
Hey everyone, it's Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, founder of the Natural Path Health Center. We are into the new year, and a lot of you are trying to manifest an amazing year, but you're not making any changes. Those changes are not happening because you haven't mastered one of the most important words in your vocabulary. Are you ready? It is no. If you start saying no, you will start to see changes. For example, Rachel has mastered saying no to others. If someone's asking her to run an errand and it isn't conducive to her schedule, or she just doesn't want to do it, she will say, "No, thank you for thinking of me." She's very comfortable with that, and many of you are not. Another is with Shauna. Shauna is going to be focusing this year on saying no to herself: "No, I'm not going to be eating the goodies or the candy," or I don't know what other things you're going to say no to. But if you can't stay in agreement with yourself, you can't move forward with whatever it is you want to create in your life. So, saying no politely, yet firmly: if you're not comfortable with that, pick that one thing to make a change, and practice it every day for the entire year. I can guarantee you, you're going to come out different at the end of 2026. Just say no with a smile: gracious, polite, but no. We can help you practice. Bye.
Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, DC, CCN, DACBN, DACNB
Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, DC, CCN, DACBN, DACNB is a Doctor of Chiropractic, certified clinical nutritionist, and brain wellness expert with 34+ years serving Fresno families at The Natural Path Health Center.
Learn More About Dr. Parsons
