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Let’s examine the ‘No’ responses

How many times are we told “no” throughout our lifetime? As a child we grow up learning what “no” means. No, don’t bop your baby brother on the head with the block. No, you can’t stay out late with your friends. No, you can’t rob that bank.

While these “no” responses make responsible moral and ethical sense there are many, many more “No’s” throughout our lives that we have been conditioned to accept without thought. No, it’s impossible. No, it won’t work. No, we tried that before. No, it’s too expensive.

As creatures of habit humans often pick the path of least resistance. We’re comfortable with status quo and it’s very easy to become complacent or in essence, lazy, when it comes to problem solving. It has also been ingrained in us not to question authority and “mind your place” in life. The latest generation entering the workforce, the Millenials, don’t generally share these guiding mores. After a couple decades of working at various organizations within the community I’ve seen countless examples of persistent questioning of a “No” response to bear amazing fruit.

The world is very different today than it was 10 or even five years ago. The most disappointing “no’s” you hear are the ones in which you know the responder put zero effort into critically thinking about the request, or the solution would be a lot of work, or require some creative out-of-the-box thinking.

What excites me today is the number of young people who see through this kind of “no” and continue to question or brainstorm potential solutions. We have seen incredible feats occur in the last decade. Video phone calls used to only exist in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey,” now they are commonplace. New stores will never open in Alpena; we don’t have the critical mass. It’s happening today due to persistence and not taking a simple “no” for an answer. Anything is possible.

I was interviewed by Mad-Law Media for a documentary about the Brown Trout Festival. The premiere of the documentary will be shown Wednesday at the festival. In the teaser trailer for the movie the producers used a comment I made about our community. “Many people who grow up here are so in love with our community they don’t generally take no for an answer. There is an undying enthusiasm that anything is possible. Don’t tell me “no;” there’s got to be a way!.”

This statement has been resonating with me fairly strongly over the past few months as I see citizens working to contribute value to the community. Many things have happened over the past few years that have proven out our history time and time again. When the lumber boom died, Alpena didn’t because her residents decided to not take “no” for an answer. They worked hard to create solutions that kept viable life here possible. We’re doing it again now as we reinvent ourselves following the recent recession.

Yet with all of this enthusiasm, I still I hear a lot of “no” responses to people who are questioning why certain things are the way they are. To the citizens asking these questions, don’t give up. Persistence is the key. What is the reason for the “no”?

* It would be too expensive? That’s not a “No” that’s an invitation for a change in budgeting, a fundraising campaign, or a grant writing opportunity.

* We tried that before and it didn’t work. How long ago did you try it? Was everyone on board? What was the approach? Can new technologies be used to assist in making another attempt successful?

* It won’t work. Why won’t it work? Would it really “not work” or are the people involved just uncooperative?

Our world today is more transparent than ever before. People are experiencing a renewed passion for the environment they live in and want to help shape it. Gone are the days of taking the first “no” for an answer and I think it’s great. It makes us all more accountable to putting forth more effort, shedding complacency, and creating a world we want to live in instead of expecting someone else to do it for us.

Think about this the next time you receive a “no” answer to something. If the first response to a legitimate, logical question is a “no” that’s your cue to start asking more questions to find a creative solution.

Mary Beth Stutzman’s Inspiring A-Town runs bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Follow Mary Beth on Twitter @mbstutz.

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