## The Power Of No, Part 1: Oprah Winfrey Source URL:: <https://www.wbur.org/dearsugar/2017/07/15/dear-sugars-oprah> ### Notes “I said yes because I wanted to. I felt sparked by the idea.”–Cheryl Strayed “True love, true friendship, true support comes from people who want you to be your own truth. To tell your own truth. &quot;They don’t want things given to them that don’t come from a pure place. &quot;They don’t want to be perceived as taking advantage of you. You have to let go of the toxicity in your life that was preventing you from being your true self in the first place.” –Oprah ### Highlights > [!quote]+ %%Updated on Fri Oct 13 2023 16:27:48 GMT-0400%% > > Oprah Winfrey: I related to Ghost of No because, first of all, there is always this innate fear that, if I say “no,” I&#39;m going to somehow be discarded or dismissed or unloved. That started early for me, and it&#39;s probably the reason why I was abused. There was a vulnerability and a lack of knowingness about my own boundaries and my own personhood that other people could see. But if a person turns against you because you say “no” to them, you recognize that that wasn&#39;t real love anyway. True love, true friendship, true support comes from people who want you to tell your own truth. They don&#39;t want things given to them that don&#39;t come from a pure place. Ultimately, you have to let go of some of the toxicity in your life that was preventing you from being your most true self in the first place, even with family members.