How 'The Power Of No' Can Make You Happier And More Successful

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tony larussa

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An umpire yelling at former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.

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Many of us have been raised to think that shooting down someone's idea or bluntly saying "no" to a request is rude. And while it can be impolite to be dismissive, a habit of saying "yes" to everything can lead to unnecessary stress that holds us back.

Hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, and writer James Altucher cowrote the book "The Power of No" with his wife, Claudia Azula Altucher, as a way to help you break this bad habit. It offers tips for letting your employees know their ideas aren't up to par, telling coworkers that you would like to help them with their project but have other priorities, and learning to dismiss the negative voice in your head that holds you back from getting things done.

Figuring out what to say "no" to is half the battle. James Altucher created the presentation "12 Things To Say 'No' To Today," highlighting some of the main takeaways from his book. We've published it here with his permission.