This is Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day. Sixty Seconds on wisdom, success and personal growth.  The Power of No is helping improve lives! Today, let’s say “no” to bad meetings. Choose the meetings that will enhance your business and professional growth. Some meetings just aren’t worth your time. Perhaps you can send a junior employee or other member of your staff or skip it altogether. I learned this early on in my career. In an effort to appear to ‘be everywhere’ so that people would know me, I allowed myself to be part of more meetings than were really necessary. Prune back the amount of bad meetings you agree to attend. Now, not all meetings are bad. As Tiger Woods said, “The amount of meetings I’ve been in – people would be shocked. But that’s how you can gain knowledge, being in meetings and participating. You learn and grow.” 

What is important is to say no to bad meetings. Ones where they go round and round in circles and never accomplish anything and you’re left feeling like you just wasted hours of productive time. Know when to say yes, and when to say enough is enough!

Move yourself into a season of positive growth by just saying no to bad meetings.

This has been Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day… Now, go out and be fruitful!

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This is Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day. Sixty Seconds on wisdom, success and personal growth. The Power of No is helping improve lives! Today, let’s say “no” to gossip. Gossip is when we allow ourselves to engage in conversations that leave you feeling bad about yourself or others. Have you ever been a victim of some gossip? These days, its tabloid fodder, social media and cyber bullying are one of the cruelest activities that humans can put upon each other. I know that I have been subjected to unfair gossip many times in my life, and it’s just plain mean, salacious and unfortunately a popular pastime. Musician and former Beatle
George Harrison said, “Gossip is the Devil’s radio.” It’s more than just idle chitchat. Remember what you learned when you were young, “if somebody gossips to you about somebody else, you can be certain that they’ll gossip about you as well.”

When you say no to gossip, you set yourself up for more personal and professional growth. Hearing gossip about people may seem fun and intriguing at the moment, but you can treat people in a kinder, gentler and more compassionate way. That’s how we grow.

Move yourself into a season of positive growth by just saying no to gossip.

This has been Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day… Now, go out and be fruitful!

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This is Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day. Sixty Seconds on wisdom, success and personal growth. The Power of No is helping improve lives! Today, let’s say “no” to abusive people. Abuse comes in many forms, but they all have the same impact on us. Whatever sort of abusive relationship you might be engaged it, today is the day to allow yourself to become aware of it and to just say no more! Whether it’s verbal or mental abuse by your employer, or an emotionally abusive relationship with a partner or even parent, or perhaps you have an acquaintance that abuses your giving nature – be aware of how it makes you feel about yourself!

Abuse is the most negative, impulsive, addicting and contagious behavior, and sometimes an abuser isn’t even aware their behavior is such. People can be cruel, they’ll hurt you and break your heart. Stand up and say “No more abusive relationships”. Surround yourself with positive influences and people with warm hearts. Actor Michael J. Fox said, “One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.”

Move yourself into a season of positive growth by just saying no to abusive people.

This has been Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day… Now, go out and be fruitful!

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This is Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day. Sixty Seconds on wisdom, success and personal growth. The Power of No is helping improve lives! Today, let’s say “no” to social pressure. Are you influenced by your peers? Are they able to persuade you to conform to their demands? Our social circle can often define us and create a sense of camaraderie – but it’s critical to associate with like-minded friends and colleagues or we might be in danger of being influenced in changing our beliefs or
behaviors in order to ‘fit in’. Kids fall into this trap all the time, and good parents are there to help guide them on the right path. But how about you? Do you fall for the kind of social pressure that causes you to rethink what you believe and feel? Are you constantly teased or criticized for doing what you believe?

Peer or social pressure at any age can cause us to question what we love, what we do, and how we behave. Nobody is immune to peer and social pressure, but it’s time to live your own life mission, have faith in your abilities and don’t let others pressure you into doing something that is a detour from your own integrity or mission! Social pressure is the easy way out of pursuing our own beliefs and will only cause you unintended grief! It begins when we’re young and without a concerted effort – you’ll continue to fall! So today, stand up straight and move
yourself into a season of positive growth by just saying no to social pressure.

This has been Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day… Now, go out and be fruitful!

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This is Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day. Sixty Seconds on wisdom, success and personal growth. The Power of No is helping improve lives! Today, let’s say “no” to envy. Do you envy your friends lives; the cars they drive, the clothes they wear or the job that they have? No one is immune to envy! That’s why they call it the ‘green-eyed monster’! Envy is painful because it affects your emotions! When
envious feelings emerge, that means you are discontented with your own life and resentful for somebody else’s success, profession and belongings.

When you feel inferior to somebody else, there is a void in your life beyond measure!

The Buddha said, “Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.”

When you seek peace and wisdom, there is no room for envy. Personal and professional growth seekers need to say no to envy and practice gratitude and thanksgiving!

Envy won’t get you anywhere! It only prevents your personal and professional growth.

Move yourself into a season of positive growth by just saying no to envy.

This has been Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day… Now, go out and be fruitful!

This is Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day. Sixty Seconds on wisdom, success and personal growth. The Power of No is helping improve lives! Today, let’s say “no” to an untimely death. I know, that sounds really scary, but the truth is, healthy habits are the best path toward prevention to disease. Smoking, drug abuse, poor eating habits, lack of exercise and skipping medical check –ups won’t help you live a long and healthy life. Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women
and it can be prevented!

To say no to an untimely death, you must eat a healthy diet, move your body, get a good night’s sleep, reduce your stress, increase love, joy and laughter and stay positive!

Personal and professional growth occurs when you strive to take measures to care for yourself! If you are feeling overwhelmed, experience anxiety on a daily basis and constantly worry – you are putting too much stress on your mind, body and spirit! And that leads to illness – physically and emotionally!

Move yourself into a season of positive growth by just saying no to an untimely death!

This has been Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day… Now, go out and be fruitful!

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This is Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day. Sixty Seconds on wisdom, success and personal growth. The Power of No is helping improve lives! Today, let’s say “no” to phoniness!

We hear a lot in business and careers about being “authentic”. Many people claim that they are authentic in all that they do – and that should be what we all strive toward. When we say no to phoniness – we become genuine and real – sincere and honest. How many times have you had a conversation with someone and you just felt a sense of phoniness about them. I’ll bet it happens a lot!

Your team and closest friends will know too! Former Basketball player Larry Bird said, “Leadership is getting players to believe in you. If you tell a teammate you’re ready to play as tough as you’re able to, you’d better go out there and do it. Players will see right through a phony.”

Let people see the cracks in your life. Keep it real. Be so transparent and authentic that your team, your staff, your co-workers and associates will believe every word you say, and that you will give it your all.

Move yourself into a season of positive growth by just saying no to phoniness!

This has been Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day… Now, go out and be fruitful!

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This is Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day. Sixty Seconds on wisdom, success and personal growth. The Power of No is helping improve lives! Today, let’s say “no” to pride. Do you get a feeling of deep pleasure and satisfaction from your own achievements? It’s perfectly acceptable to have a sense of pride in your accomplishments, but say no to pride because it robs you of growth.

Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

There is a huge difference between ‘pride in your accomplishments’ and being ‘prideful’. Nobody likes a prideful person, who becomes a braggart. It’s a fine line, but be careful not to cross it!

Joyce Meyer says, “Pride is an independent, me-oriented spirit. It makes people arrogant, rude and hard to get along with. When our heart is prideful, we don’t give God the credit and we mistreat people, looking down on them and thinking we deserve what we have.”

Move yourself into a season of positive growth by just saying no to pride! This has been Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day… Now, go out and be fruitful!

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This is Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day. Sixty Seconds on wisdom, success and personal growth. The Power of No is helping improve lives! Today, let’s say “no” to stress! There are some startling statistics on stress in the workplace!

Job stress costs employers more than $200 Billion each year in absenteeism, tardiness, burnout, lower productivity, high turnover, workers’ compensation and medical insurance costs. An estimated 60% of all absenteeism from work is caused by stress.

Depression, a common problem among workers, costs the US $44 Billion per year in lost productivity, creating even more stress. Let’s make a list of things that cause stress in your life and resolve how you can reduce them by setting boundaries, identifying what is important and what isn’t, learning to let go of the stressors and practice self- care. Stress reduction will improve your health, your relationships and your business! Get of that ledge, slow down; understand that not everything is an emergency! Slow your thoughts, take a deep breath and know that you are doing yourself a favor by putting less pressure on yourself when you stop and appreciate the moment! Move yourself into a season of positive growth by just saying no to stress!

This has been Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day… Now, go out and be fruitful!

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This is Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day. Sixty Seconds on wisdom, success and personal growth. The Power of No is helping improve lives! Today, let’s say “no” to being negative! Whether it is negative thinking or negative talk – it always results in negative results, and that stunts your growth! Negative thinking is the biggest denominator in preventing personal and professional growth, business growth and overall happiness. We all are subject to negative thoughts.

Joel Osteen says, “When the negative thoughts come – and they will; they come to all of us – it’s not enough to just dwell on it… You’ve got to replace it with a positive thought.”

Negative thoughts are the bad seeds that are planting in our hearts and minds, but a good gardener weeds out the bad seeds to make room for growth with the positive ones. Start weeding out your negative thoughts and negative talk by replacing them with positive ones. It takes practice and a lot of tending to break the negative habit, so when you are aware that negative thoughts are influencing
your mind, immediately challenge it, replace it with a positive one and move yourself into a season of positive growth by just saying no to being negative.

This has been Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day… Now, go out and be fruitful!

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