We need to find the courage to say no to the things and people

Barbara De Angelis, a teacher of the heart and a seeker of truth, once spoke with luminous clarity: “We need to find the courage to say no to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity.” In these words lies not merely advice, but a summons — a call to reclaim one’s soul from the forces that drain it. For the world, full of noise and obligation, constantly pulls us away from our true selves. It teaches us to please, to obey, to conform — and in doing so, it quietly steals our authenticity, that divine spark that makes each life sacred and unique. De Angelis’s words remind us that courage is not only for the battlefield or the storm; it is also for the quiet moments when the soul must speak its truth and say, “No more.”

The origin of this wisdom lies in the eternal struggle between fear and selfhood. From the dawn of humanity, men and women have faced the same choice: to live as others expect, or to live as one truly is. Yet to say no — to set a boundary — requires the strength of a warrior and the wisdom of a sage. Many prefer the comfort of approval to the loneliness of authenticity. They cling to relationships, habits, and patterns that no longer serve them, fearing that if they let go, they will have nothing left. But the truth, as De Angelis teaches, is the opposite: only when we have the courage to refuse what is false can we make space for what is real.

In the teachings of the ancients, this truth