Yes Lives in the Land of No: A Tale of Triumph over Negativity

It seems like everywhere we turn, we're confronted by shaking heads, thumbs down, brick walls, brush-offs, and closed doors. NOs surround us—in our workplaces, in our communities and places of worship, in government, in social settings, in schools, and even within our families.

Whether you're applying for a job, making a request, looking for a house, dating to find the right mate, seeking some type of approval, selling a product or an idea (or yourself), or trying to organize others into getting something accomplished, you're going to encounter rebuffs and resistance. What can you do to overcome so much negativity?

This wise, insightful parable follows our hero who ventures into the Land of NO in search of YES. He watches well-intentioned characters flounder and fail—while noticing other characters using different approaches and achieving success. Our observant hero learns from others’ experiences, as well as his own.

Through his journey, you will discover how you, too, can persist in the face of frequent NOs — both the NOs uttered by people around you and, perhaps more importantly, the insidious NOs whispered by your own inner voices.

The second half of the book takes you from parable to practice—with proven tips, tools, and strategies to help you persevere, develop tenacity, persist in the face of rejection, and overcome the inertia of the status quo. Taken together, the two parts of this book provide a how-to manual that's both practical and entertaining. It will help you find the YESes you seek—faster, more effectively, and with a lot less discouragement and despair in the process.

BJ Gallagher’s favorite word is YES. Childhood photos show her with a big smile and happy eyes, her face lit up in eager expectation. The whole world looked like Disneyland to her — full of adventures, surprises, and amazing experiences. That positive spirit persists in adulthood . . . her work as an author, speaker, and consultant provides her with endless opportunities to say YES to others.
According to his mother, Steve Ventura is recognized and respected for writing stuff (author), drawing stuff (graphic “artiste”), talking about stuff (educator), and bookmaking (the legal kind: publishing). With 25 years of human resource development experience — as both a consultant and someone with a real job — 10 years in law enforcement, 27 years as a parent, and 30 years as a husband, this is an individual who knows NOs . . . and YESes too.