Transcripts

B.J. Gallagher:
It's safer and easier for people to say, "No". If you say, "No" it means you don't have to change, you don't have to do anything differently, and you don't have to take a risk.

B.J. Gallagher, author of the book Yes Lives in the Land of No, says the difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they hear and handle "no".

There are two kinds of people - some people when they hear "no", what they hear is: "You're an idiot, you're a failure - why did you bring me this idea?" Other people when they hear "no", what they hear is: "Maybe later, I'm busy now don't bother me, get me some more information" - so they hear a delay but they don't hear a final answer.

And with some deliberate effort we can all handle the "no's" we get in life a little more optimistically.

It's like you're going down a road and a tree falls across the road - now that tree is a "no". So you say, "Hm, well I really want to get where I'm going." One option is I go around the tree; one option is I get some boards and I try to make a ramp up over the tree. So, a lot of it is seeing a "no" and saying, " What are all the possible ways I can either get around that "no", over that "no", under that "no", or turn the "no" around and make it work for me?" - it's just creativity.

At somethingyoushouldknow.net I'm Mike Carruthers and that's Something You Should Know.