Your brain doesn’t understand “no”. Your energy goes where your attention goes. Try this: DON’T think of a giraffe. (We both know what just happened.)
Business clients give us lists of what they don’t want. When life presents a problem or a decision, we often consider what we don’t want to happen, to deal with, or to feel anymore.
Here’s a better question that bulldozes negative thoughts: “What would be ideal?”