Dear friends of Italy,
we are delighted that our little Atempause series and the contributions by Dr. Christoph Glumm are being so well received. Today we are publishing the fourth Atempause and can promise: it will not be the last! So take two minutes, watch the video, read the lines, and take a deep breath. It gives strength for the day and all the tasks that lie ahead. Buona Domenica!
The freedom to say NO.
By Dr. Christoph Glumm
Freedom does not begin with a grand manifesto, not with a revolution, but with a small word that is often harder to say than a long speech. It begins with a: No.
The world is full of expectations placed on us. We are supposed to go along, adapt, perform. That is comfortable enough, until the realization sets in that doing so means crossing our own boundaries. A No does not mean being stubborn. It means being attentive to what is harmful, to oneself and to others. A No is rarely directed at people, but often at habits, at automatic behaviors, at the "that's the way it's always been."
Sometimes a single person saying NO is enough to open others' eyes as well. A No is often uncomfortable, but it creates space for something new. Freedom is not an endless Yes to everything. Freedom is the ability to choose consciously, and the courage to speak a clear word that can change everything: No.