Say No Quotes

Mara," his arms gave me a squeeze, "baby, you've got to live in the now. Not in your head. Not controlled by your fears. You can't live for what might happen five months in the future. You got issues you gotta face today. You gotta deal with them now. You got two kids who count on you and their lives aren't gonna go perfect every day because you weigh every decision you make and tread cautiously. Those options are no longer available to you. You're gonna have to live day to day and make decisions on the fly. And I'm tellin' you I'm here to help. You need it and they need it. Are you honestly gonna say no? ~ Kristen Ashley

To say "no" is painful, but much better than a "yes" that brings regrets. ~ Paulo Coelho

People always ask me if I hate the nuns. Do I make my movies extra dirty to piss them off? I always say no, that's not the point. To a Catholic, a movie is only dirty if it makes you want to have sex more. If it makes you feel sick, disgusted, ashamed of your own body, then it's not a dirty movie at all. It's a Catholic movie. And I make very Catholic movies. ~ Kevin Smith

Karen had no problem standing up to people. She'd say 'no' before the question was even asked. ~ Cate Cameron

Unfortunately, when someone asks me for a favor, I can't say no. Because of my upbringing - my Catholic guilt - if I don't do it, it plagues me. ~ Bradley Cooper

It is his fate to enter every door. This has been willed where what is willed must be, and is not yours to question. Say no more. ~ Dante Alighieri

You want to be skinny and have a good body? You have to work out every day and say no to certain foods. ~ Shakira

We know they've got food here," Loran said ever practical. "What more do we need?"

"Well, as much as I heartily approve of food," Jason replied, glancing over at Loran. "I wouldn't say no to the odd cellium mine or cache of alien tech."

"You're picking up some alien tech?" Tennant asked excitedly, practically bouncing at the prospect. "Are there any weapons?"

"No, of course not," Jason snapped in exasperation. "I'm not picking up anything. But, ahh... I'll be sure to keep running that particular scan - the alien weapon scan," he added hurriedly in appeasement as Tennant's face dropped. ~ Claire Russett

When once married people begin to attack me with, 'Oh! you will think very differently, when you are married,' I can only say, 'No I shall not'; and then they say again, 'Yes you will,' and there is an end to it. ~ Jane Austen

Create boundaries. Honor your limits. Say no. Take a break. Let go. Stay grounded. Nurture your body. Love your vulnerability. And if all else fails, breathe deeply. ~ Aletheia Luna

It's easy to say, 'But women can just say no to all this.' But the reality is more difficult, more complex. We are all social beings. We internalize ideas from our socialization. ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The women executives in the film industry have the power to say, 'No,' but few of them have the power to say, 'Yes.' ~ Melanie Mayron

We must say yes to the gospel, and that yes is manifested in life as lived daily; or we can say no even by our inactivity. ~ Jacquelyn Grant

No, I should kill him. He said himself he would eventually go back to the demons. But he turns long-lashed eyes on me, full of entreaty, as if he were saying: please, please let me come murder the molester with you. How do you say "no" to eyes like those? They are a magical combination of sex and puppy.
Better than it sounds, I promise. ~ Eliza Crewe

They say no one knows if we all see red the same way. Except traffic cops. ~ Greg Fitzsimmons

I was denied a record contract for 15 years, so I'm not going to be too picky about what I do. I don't have the juice to say no too many times. ~ Buddy Guy

Be prepared to say "no" to some things. That is the key. When you say "yes" to every invitation, event and call, you will come back to meet you plans on the paper in the same state you left them. ~ Israelmore Ayivor

How much distance should there be between art and artist? I'd say no more than a lifetime. ~ Jarod Kintz

If someone says, "the Gnani Purush is happy in the 'Real' but happy or unhappy in the 'relative'", then I would say, "No, the Gnani Purush Knows the 'relative' as being the 'relative', and therefore He is happy in the relative as well. ~ Dada Bhagwan

When will it all be over? When will she have time to think and feel again? Presumably not till the baby is a teenager and can safely fend for himself. Although, of course, teenagers need to be taught to drive and say no to drugs and wear condoms. ~ Liane Moriarty

These women, genteel and beautiful, are the rebels who say no to the choices made by silly mothers, incompetent fathers (there are seldom any wise fathers in Austen's novels) and the rigidly orthodox society. They risk ostracism and poverty to gain love and companionship, and to embrace that elusive goal at the heart of democracy: the right to choose. ~ Azar Nafisi

I believed that work would save me, make me happy, solve my problems; that if I absolutely wore myself out, happiness would be waiting for me on the other side of all that work. But it wasn't. On the other side was just more work. More expectations, more responsibility. I'd trained a whole group of people to know that I would never say no, I would never say "this is too much". I would never ask for more time or space, I would never bow out. And so they kept asking, and I was everyone's responsible girl. ~ Shauna Niequist

Well, look. You're the kid sister, but you always had a good, clear image of what you wanted for yourself. You were able to say no when you had to, and you did things at your own pace. But Eri Asai couldn't do that. From the time she was a little girl, her job was to play her assigned role and satisfy the people around her. She worked hard to be a perfect little Snow White - if I can borrow your name for her. It's true that everybody made a big fuss over her, but I'll bet that was really tough for her sometimes. At one of the most crucial points in her life, she didn't have a chance to establish a firm self. If 'complex' is too strong a word, let's just say she probably envied you."
Excerpt From: Haruki Murakami. "After Dark." iBooks. ~ Haruki Murakami

The "just say no" campaign at this point is a lot like drawing sea-monsters over certain unexplored areas of the map and expecting people to stay away. It may work for some, but explorers live for this kind of thing. ~ Terence McKenna

Most people think I'm Danny Glover's son when they meet me. So when they ask, I say 'No, I'm Crispin Glover's son.' Then we stare at each other for a long time. ~ Donald Glover

Hey, heads up. The hottest doctor in town just came by and coerced me into telling him where you were. I folded like a cheap suitcase. Sorry, but he's hard to say no to. Don't be mad. I owe you a cupcake. ~ Jill Shalvis

[On Ronald Reagan:] The President doesn't want yes-men around. When he says no, we all say no. ~ Elizabeth Dole

In dating, if you say no, your lover goes on to the next person. In marriage, if you say no, the person stays. ~ Esther Perel

I find it very difficult to say no when I'm in Ireland. You do end up going around doing lots of events and things and not getting work done, and it's not just a question of having hours at the desk. ~ Kate Thompson

permission.
You are allowed to make changes to the way you're living. You're allowed to look after yourself. You're allowed to decide what is important to you. And you're allowed to create a life with those things at the center.
It's OK to go slowly. It's OK to say no. It's OK to be different. And it's OK to let go of caring about the Joneses. Just don't replace them with a new set. Instead, create a life full of things that matter to you, and watch as the world revels beauty and humanity and connection. ~ Brooke McAlary

I want to see the king," I said, after explaining who I was.
"Wonderful," said the ancient Nkumai who sat on a cushion near the corner pole of the house. "I'm glad for you."
That was all, and apparently he meant to say no more. "Why are you so glad?" I asked.
"Because it's good for every human being to have an unfulfilled wish. It makes all of life so poignant. ~ Orson Scott Card

When you've done something for more than a third of your life, your whole adult life, and then all of a sudden you're going to have to switch off and say, 'No more,' you want to grasp as much of it and enjoy the last few years of it as much as you can. Because you can't get those years back. ~ Brian O'Driscoll

A lot of times, actors give so much power to the producers and the producing companies because, quite frankly, they have it. But we don't take the limited power that we have, which the power you initially have is to say 'no.' But 'no' in a positive way. ~ Michael Cudlitz

I watched out of the corner of my eye as he stepped into his shorts and pulled a T-shirt over his head. Slipping the razor into his pocket, he walked out the door. I almost called after him to ask if he wanted to meet me for dinner, but I didn't. My eyes, reflected in the mirror, knew the reason why the words stuck in my throat.
I was afraid he would say no.
I was even more afraid he would say yes. ~ Juliann Rich

[On the eve of the French Revolution:]
It is impossible to imagine a more disorderly Assembly. They neither reason, examine, nor discuss. They clap those whom they approve and hiss those whom they disapprove. . . .

Everything almost is elective, and consequently no one obeys. It is an anarchy beyond conception, and they will be obliged to take back their chains for some time to come at least. And so much for that licentious spirit which they dignify with the name of "Love of Liberty." Their Literati, whose heads are turned by romantic notions picked up in books, and who are too lofty to look down upon that kind of man which really exists, and too wise to heed the dictates of common-sense and experience, have turned the heads of their countrymen, and they have run-a-muck at a Don Quixote constitution such as you are blessed with in Pennsylvania. I need say no more. You will judge of the effects of such a constitution upon people supremely depraved. ~ Gouverneur Morris

Goodbye" is the best ever gift that you can receive from worse friends. Never hesitate to wave it back. Be bold to say "no" to what always keeps you static! ~ Israelmore Ayivor

And suddenly the miracle happens. I look across at the woman who has just made some coffee and is now reading the newspaper, whose eyes look tired and desperate, who is her usual silent self, who does not always show her affection in gestures, the woman who made me say yes when i wanted to say no, who forced me to fight for what she, quiet rightly, believed was my reason for living, who let me set off alone because her love for me was greater even than her love for herself, who made me go in serch of my dream,; and suddenly, seeing that small, quiet woman, whose eyes said more than words, who was often terrified inside, but always courageous in her actions, who could love someone without humbling herself and who never ever apologized for fighting for her man - suddenly. my fingers press down on the keys. ~ Paulo Coelho

I start to say no, then stop myself. I have to try. I have to try, because I'm doing it again-I'm shutting everything out because I'm frustrated and tired and because the real world is difficult and I'd rather live in one of my own making. But I can't. I am here, and I have to try. ~ Francesca Zappia

Stop allowing people to disrespect your right to say no and enforce boundaries as a form of self-care. Make your yes valued by saying no when you don't want to say yes and make your no mean no without any explanation because you have the power to do so. ~ Tasha McCray

I've never played Scots or got the chance to do my Scottish accent. I'm always trying it out in auditions, but they always say no. I'd love to act in a Scottish accent for once. ~ Callum Keith Rennie

It was considered at the time a striking proof of virtue in the young king that he was sorry for his father's death;but, as common subjects have that virtue too, sometimes, we will say no more about it. ~ Charles Dickens

If you want to do something, try it! The worst anyone you ask for help can do is say no. ~ Anne Beatts

Every Warrior of the Light has felt afraid of going into battle. Every Warrior of the Light has, at some time in the past, lied or betrayed someone. Every Warrior of the Light has trodden a path that was not his. Every Warrior of the Light has suffered for the most trivial of reasons. Every Warrior of the Light has, at least once, believed that he was not a Warrior of the Light. Every Warrior of the Light has failed in his spiritual duties. Every Warrior of the Light has said "yes" when he wanted to say "no." Every Warrior of the Light has hurt someone he loved. ~ Paulo Coelho

But that's what makes it so fun! Life is scary. So why wouldn't we enjoy and make fun of that fear? It's like life is trying to makes us fear it, and on this day we just mock its attempts and say 'no, not today, today I'm not scared of anything you throw at me'. ~ Patricia Morais

I don't like saying 'no' to people, and I'm going to have to learn how to say 'no' more. ~ Eric Betzig

The first important act of self-denial for 21st-century followers of Jesus may be to say no to being too busy to be a disciple. ~ Thomas Oord

When your thoughts come and you're trying to stop them, simply say "No". Learn the mantra "No". Every time a thought comes in your mind ... just say no. ~ Frederick Lenz

A man may have the right to criticize the Government, but I'm hanged if he has a right to brazenly use his free speech to attack our way of life. More and more we see men in science and profession and academy abusing their privileges of expression by crying that their real liberties are threatened by patriotism. Is patriotism above these men? Do they have a right to express their views, to carry on their work, to be free men unless they are patriotic to our society? I say no sir! Loyalty is one of the prerogatives of freedom ~ James Aldridge

You must be ruthless with your time. Learn to say no. Having the courage to say no to the little things in life will give you the power to say yes to the big things. Shut the door to your office when you need a few hours to work on that big case. Remember what I told you. Don't pick up the phone every time it rings. It is there for your convenience, not the convenience of others. Ironically, people will respect you more when they see that you are a person who values his time. They will realize that your time is precious and they will value it. ~ Robin S. Sharma

For an artist to go and play in a country that occupies other people's land and oppresses them, the way Israel does, is plain wrong. They should say no. ~ Roger Waters

I'm not as eager to go just work to work. I have another life outside of it, and if I'm pretty sure the movie's not going to have a life, or if it's not a director I believe in, then I probably will say no. ~ Scott Speedman

Every warrior of light has felt afraid of going into battle.
Every warrior of light has, at some time in the past, lied or betrayed someone.
Every warrior of light has trodden a path that was not his.
Every warrior of light has suffered for the most trivial of reasons.
Every warrior of light has, at least once, believed that he was not a warrior of light.
Every warrior of light has failed in his spiritual duties.
Every warrior of light has said 'yes' when he wanted to say 'no'.
Every warrior of light has hurt someone he loved.
That is why he is a warrior of light, because he has been through all this and yet has never lost hope of being better than he is.
~ Paulo Coelho

You mentioned law school, he said, and this grabbed her attention. They talked about it at length, with Jake careful not to make his description as dreadful as the three-year ordeal itself. Occasionally, like all lawyers, Jake was asked by students if he would recommend the law as a profession. He had never found an honest way to say no, though he had many reservations. ~ John Grisham

I had to say no to 'Fantasy Island' back when I was doing 'Bosom Buddies.' ~ Tom Hanks

If you really think you have something good, you can't take no for an answer. You've got to get in there and ignore the people who say no. ~ Billy Eichner

To be in a position, at my age, where I am financially independent, I can help develop things, I can promote stuff that I believe in, I can say no a lot and spend time writing - that is a gift. ~ Ellen Page

There's a reason they say nothing good ever came out of a committee. Beware of Focus Groups, Working Parties, Conference Calls, and people who find ninety-nine reasons to say no before they find a single reason to say yes. It's these people who are responsible for most of the evil in the universe. ~ James Goss

What's strange is, the people who want to be in the position are never asked to be in the position. Like, if you don't want to do something, then people really want you to do it. And the more you say, "No, really, I'm sorry, it's really not for me," the more they want to convince you that it is, in fact, for you, and that you'd be absolutely perfect. ~ David Sedaris

If I say "No decision has been made," it's a lie - because I have decided to remain undecided. ~ Jarod Kintz

Let me say no more. Words do no justice to the hidden meaning. Everything immediately becomes slightly different when it is expressed in words, a little bit distorted, a little foolish ... It is perfectly fine with me that what for one man is precious wisdom for another sounds like foolery. ~ Hermann Hesse

Every day you say 'No' to your dreams, you might be pushing back your dreams a whole 6 months ~ Eric Thomas

Ladies gotta say no to their husbands at the movies. They gotta say: "No, we are watching back-to-back cancer movies. And then this movie about a cat." ~ Tina Fey

Sometimes Christians live in a terror of universal obligation: AIDS over here, people to be saved over here, a crushing sense of low-level guilt every day of our lives. Question to ask: Where has God put me right now? I need to say no to a whole bunch of other things because if I don't say no I can't say yes to others. ~ Kevin DeYoung

you say no one else wants to love you
will you look up and question that to him ~ Angel Of Death

When someone asks if you want to play Brittany Murphy, who you idolized as a child and grew up loving and who you wanted to be, you can't say no. Even if it's the most terrifying thing someone asks you to do. ~ Amanda Fuller

Compulsive behavior occurs when the urge to act out is greater than our will to say no. Recovery then, is the process of reversing that equation. ~ Roger Stark

And so they parted. And though the Lord of the Eagles became in after days the King of All Birds and wore a golden crown, and his fifteen chieftains golden collars (made of the gold that the dwarves gave them), Bilbo never saw them again - except high and far off in the battle of Five Armies. But as that comes in at the end of this tale we will say no more about it just now. ~ Anonymous

I went boneless and pliant in his arms, letting him control the kiss, suck on my lips, tangle his tongue with mine, and hold me in his arms. "You are so beautiful." He spoke the words against my mouth. "Please don't change your mind; please don't say no to me when we get home." The word no never entered my mind. ~ Mary Calmes

She can't say no if she's unconscious. ~ Zach Braff

To be truly successful you have to break away from the crowds, popularity and your ego for a while. Somewhere you can work towards achieving your goals, say no to distractions and concentrate on studying and practicing. ~ Francis Shenstone

Life's journey is not traveled on a freeway devoid of obstacles, pitfalls, and snares. Rather, it is a pathway marked by forks and turnings. Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed: the courage to say, 'No,' the courage to say, 'Yes.' Decisions do determine destiny. The call for courage comes constantly to each of us. It has ever been so, and so shall it ever be. ~ Thomas S. Monson

I knew now what my earlier passion for Harry had hidden from me. That although I had bedded him as a free woman I was as bound as if I were the slave. For it was not a free choice. I had wanted him because he was the Squire, not for himself ... And it was no free choice, because I could not choose to say "No." My safety and security on the land meant I had to keep my special, costly hold on its owner. I paid him rent as surely as the tenants who came to my round rent table with their coins tied up in a scrap of cloth. When I lay on my back, or strode round the room threatening him with every imaginable, ridiculous torment, I was paying my dues. And the knowledge galled me. ~ Philippa Gregory

My mama always said, You can always ask. The worst they can do is say no. But I don't think Mama was thinking about revenge and murder when she dealt out that piece of homespun advice ~ Catrina Burgess

So what did you think the devil would look like? If he were red with a tail, horns, and cloven hooves, any fool could say no. ~ Thomas C. Foster

Jesus, honey," he muttered. "How can I say no to you? ~ Sibylla Matilde

If I want to say no, I will, but for the right reasons. If I want to say yes, I will, but for the right reasons. Leave the consequences. Leave the finale. Leave the grand statements. The simplicity of feeling should not be taxed. I can't work out what this will cost or what either of us owe. The admission charge is never on the door, but you are open and I want to enter.
Let me in.
You do. ~ Jeanette Winterson

Fairy tales teach us not just about love, but to fight for the things that you want. They show us that no matter how bad things get there's always hope. That you should stand up and say no even if no one else will. To believe and to dream even if it seems impossible. ~ Kay Harding

11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

15These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. ~ Titus

We say no to lots of things that would please us. I would like to punch people every now and then, but I don't. I would like to have something for free rather than pay for it. I would like to skip to the front of the line ... I don't mean to brush aside the taste of meat, which is a powerful attraction. But its power is not without limit. ~ Jonathan Safran Foer

It's hard to say no to a grown-up lady who smiles at you. ~ Lynne Jonell

I don't think anyone who has followed the progress of the Islamofascist terrorists who have threatened us believe we are going to be safe if we try a fortress mentality, to step back and say no one is going to hit us, they don't care about the United States. They do. ~ Kit Bond

Perhaps I'd been a slow developer, but I was well into my forties before I realized that you don't have to comply with a request just because it's reasonable or reasonably put. Age is the great dis-obliger. You can be yourself and say no. ~ Ian McEwan

We all need love. Love for ourselves, yes, that's easy, but we also need to love and be loved by someone outside of ourselves. We need to be chosen by someone, and loved by them. Whether or not we get that in this life is irrelevant. It's the needing it that makes us human, not the getting it. As long as we need it, and know we need it, we're fine. It's when we pull the curtain down and say 'no, I can do this on my own', that's when it's all over. Of course it's true to say that, but doing it isn't worth it. ~ Max Davine

But I always had the ability to say no. That's how I called my own shots. ~ Sidney Poitier

We must learn to say no and not fear the loss of relationships. I have come to the conclusion that if I lose a relationship because I tell someone no, then I really never had a true relationship at all. ~ Joyce Meyer

We know the road of lack of recognition, of people telling us that we can't headline a movie because black women don't translate overseas, that every time we try to break the glass ceiling, people say no, people push back. And it's everything that people don't see out there. ~ Viola Davis

Tam was saying: 'AN EVIL THOUGHT OR ACTION WOULD HAVE TO BE COMMITTED AT – OR JUST PRIOR TO THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION. THIS SEEMS MOST UNLIKELY BETWEEN TRUE LOVERS. THEREFORE THE CHANCE OF THIS MUTATION OCCURING IS ABOUT ONE IN A MILLION.' The screen darkened. Tam would say no more. The Mind never surmised or deliberated; that was for man creatures to do. She simply stated fact.
'Well...' Grom turned to face his mystified Council. 'Has anyone got any ideas?'
There was an expectant silence as everyone looked at everyone else. Griff seemed about to speak, and then changed his mind.
Then Tameron (the seer) stepped forward. Her dark eyes were wide with horror at the awful revelation which had just come to her. Her step faltered as she moved towards the king, and he reached with his hands to steady her. She did not want to tell what she knew, but was compelled to speak the truth. This was something the Fae had to know.
'My Lord...' Her voice was barely more than a whisper, and she trembled uncontrollably as she struggled to find courage to betray one of her own. 'My Lord... This creature is the seed of Griff.'
There was a stunned silence. ~ Bernie Morris

But our leaders of today have decided it's more important to be popular, to say and do what's easy, and say yes rather than to say no, when no is what is required. ~ Chris Christie

I still get blokes who say, 'Oh you hate men, don't you?' And I say, 'No, I just hate you.' I really love doing that, just to see the look on their faces. ~ Jo Brand

On all vital measures, measures necessary to protect you, the Democrats in Washington follow a simple philosophy: Just say no. ~ George W. Bush

Why don't you be together with me? If you can't say it out now, then you just answer by selecting ...
1st, if you say YES, we will get married right away
2nd, if you say NO, I will use every possible way to make you say YES and get married right away
3rd, if you say you need time to consider, I will give you one day to think over it and then get married
So you just choose, is it YES or NO? No, it's either 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Marry or not marry? ~ Park Shin-yang

To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows. It is easy to say no, even if saying no means death. ~ Jean Anouilh

You like me?" I repeat, because, well, I want to be really, really sure that I heard him right. This is not the sort of thing you want to get wrong.
He nods and says, "Very much."
"You like me very much?"
He lets go of my hands and touches my check. "Too much."
"Too much?" Trying to keep my voice calm, I say, "No such thing. ~ Carrie Jones

If I want a sound, I usually feel better if I've chased it and killed it, skinned it and cooked it. Most things you can get with a button nowadays. So if I was trying for a certain drum sound, my engineer would say: "Oh, for Christ's sake, why are we wasting our time? Let's just hit this little cup with a stick here, sample something (take a drum sound from another record) and make it bigger in the mix, don't worry about it." I'd say, "No, I would rather go in the bathroom and hit the door with a piece of two-by-four very hard. ~ Tom Waits

I can't say 'no' to an interesting role. I always tell my husband, 'That's it, I quit, I've done all I wanted,' and he's just like, 'Yeah, yeah. Sure.' ~ Helen Mirren

Say "no" only when it really matters. Wear a bright red shirt with bright orange shorts? Sure. Put water in the toy tea set? Okay. Sleep with your head at the foot of the bed? Fine. Samuel Johnson said, "All severity that does not tend to increase good, or prevent evil, is idle. ~ Gretchen Rubin

Agree and freely switch on the heart that will take "no" as an answer to some questions. ~ Israelmore Ayivor

Addiction, self-sabotage, procrastination, laziness, rage, chronic fatigue, and depression are all ways that we withhold our full participation in the program of life we are offered. When the conscious mind cannot find a reason to say no, the unconscious says no in its own way. ~ Charles Eisenstein

I don't know of an actor that the Coen brothers would come to and say, "Hey, I've got a movie for you to be in, if you want to do it," that would say, "No." That's the truth. ~ George Clooney

Sometimes I want to just pull the off switch, but you can't because if you go outside, you have to give people your all. You can't say, 'Oh, you know what? I'm not feeling good today.' No. No one's trying to hear that. When a woman comes up to you and says, 'Hey, my daughter's your biggest fan. Can we have a picture?' - you can't say no. ~ Nicki Minaj