Zooey Deschanel Quotes

There's a lot of power in the word 'no,' and a lot of people, like myself, need to know that.

I don't think I really accepted my power as a woman until I realized that no was a complete sentence. When I stopped making excuses for saying it and began creating boundaries in my life, I knew real power.

I've learned to really just say no. If I don't want to do something, I won't do it. There's nothing that can make me do anything.

It's cool to see a woman be like, 'This is what I want - this is what I don't want.' It's good to see someone making choices for themselves.

My father didn't want me to go to New York City, and I was determined to go. Learning to give myself the permission to be who I was in the world and to make my own choices was hard.

I tend to not speak up as much, so saying no is rather difficult for me. The biggest step of being an adult is saying, "This is what I do like. This is what I don't like." Being yourself means certain people aren't going to like that. I'm still figuring it out and taking things day by day.

Saying "yes" doesn't mean I don't know how to say no, and saying "please" doesn't mean I am waiting for permission.

The only power you have is the word no.

You might as well go through life the way you want to. If what you want is to be engaged and forceful, to 'lean in,' well, do that.

You have a right to say no. Most of us have very weak and flaccid 'no' muscles. We feel guilty for saying no. We get ostracized and challenged for saying no, so we forget it's our choice. Your 'no' muscle has to be built up to get to a place where you can say, 'I don't care if that's what you want. I don't want that. No.'

Freedom is control in your own life. I have more control now than in the past, and I'm learning the value of saying no. That's very important.

I did my one-woman show in order to show people what to do with me.

We have to not be afraid to say no.

I have learned that it's OK for me to say no to things.

You're not going to scare me into being somebody I don't want to be.

I'm never going to let someone else tell me what I can and can't do.

It's not that difficult to say no when you don't want to do something.

At my age...I'm going to do what I want and I haven't got time for anything else.

Decide that you know what you think is good for you and go ahead and do it.

I am in control of all decisions that have to do with my image, which means that no one will decide what’s right for me except me. I’m not special. We should all feel this way about ourselves.

I was 40 before I learned that 'No' was a complete sentence.

I'm not going to let fear rule my life. I'd rather be able to know that I've made a choice that's right for me, than saying yes because I don't want my agents to be upset with me.

It's not about winning, Haven. I'm not a prize to be won. I'm not the princess that needs rescuing from the dragon. I'm the prince and I kill my own monsters. You need to be ok with that. -Anita Blake

Nearly all men are slaves for the same reason that the Spartans assigned for the servitude of the Persians -- lack of power to pronounce the syllable, "No." To be able to utter that word and live alone, are the only means to preserve one's freedom and one's character.

The world needs women who stop asking for permission from the principal. Permission to live their lives as they deeply know they often should. I think we still look to authority figures for validation, recognition, permission.