That NO-feeling
in The awesomeness that is the inner workings of my somewhat disturbed and unarguably juvenile mind.
as Alicia Silverstone, Barnyard Love, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, No feelings, The Kind Diet, Therapy
A friend of mine was seeing a therapist years ago who counseled on the theory that you (we, as humans) would be more balanced and grounded if we listened to our bodies when they had NO-feelings. Not no feelings, but NO-feelings. What I mean is, that feeling of dread or I-don’t-want-to-do-this. That..Oh boy..this is giving me a big No-feeling.
The therapist told my friend that her job on the road to emotional health was to listen to her NO-feelings and respond appropriately, by not doing the thing her body was telling her that it didn’t want to do.
Naturally I rolled my eyes, scoffed and made unsupportive comments about what if you have a NO-feeling about paying this quack, and what if I get a NO-feeling every morning when I am about to get up and get ready for work? I have a No-feeling about doing the dishes and they’re not even dirty yet, do I feel like picking my kids up from school today? NO! etc…
But looking back, I’m starting to wonder if she wasn’t onto something. I’m being plagued by overwhelming NO feelings about going back to work in April.
I’m thinking maybe, just maybe… it’s time for a little NO therapy.
I really need to find a way to make money from home so I can continue to be present for my kids. There has to be something I can do that will bring in just enough money to cover our basic expenses, plus a little bonus to help me get over the serious No-feelings I’m having about the $3,000.00 Hydro Bill that is sitting on my dresser.
Seriously, imagine how much happier we would all be if we refused to do things that we dreaded and forced ourselves to replace them with things that gave us YES-Feelings instead!
I’m thinking NO to shoveling of the front stairs and YES to eating another *Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup for breakfast while watching the neighbour shovel his stairs instead. God! I feel happier already. This is fantastic.
I’m thinking NO to cleaning the bathroom and Yes to painting my toenails red,
No to feeding Bowtie/Boots/Duncan/Whose cat is that? and YES to following him around the house throwing paper airplanes made out of post-it notes at him,
No to grocery shopping and YES to re-aranging my bedroom,
No to answering the phone when my boyfriend calls and YES to sending him 10 individual pictures of my freshly painted toes and writing Horny Housewives, Barnyard Love, Sponge Bath Sally etc… in the subject lines.
It’s going to be a great day, I can feel it and it’s giving me all kinds of YES-Feelings.
Are you with me? Come on… what NO-Feeling are you trading in for a YES-Feeling today?
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*Last night we made Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups from Alicia Silverstone’s book, The Kind Diet. They are so freegn’ good, vegan, and almost good for you!! Make them. Eat them. Love them.
She actually makes a good point. I wrote a post on “The Power of No” that might interest you. http://injaynesworld.blogspot.com/2009/08/injaynesworld-we-celebrate-power-of-no.html
But yes, definitely to the chocolate peanut butter cup…
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I think it’s an excellent point! It made me think for real about how we are conditioned to accept things against our better judgment and gut feelings even if it compromises our health and quality of life.
I am so NO with you! Cleaning the house??? Pfft…how about sitting on the couch and dimming the lights we can’t see the dust boulders rolling around!
‘No’ can be a good thing…a very good thing, actually. If I had said no to certain things i would certainly be a happier and possibly more productive person now. But then again, sometimes I have to make mistakes to realize what i really want…
Very nice site!
NO is a powerful word and can be empowering as well. When I was going through one of my “OMG, I’m so overwhelmed I can’t put another thing on my to-do list” phases, a friend of mine said, “You know, NO is a complete sentence. No qualifiers or justifications needed. I’m working on using it more often.