Sorry, Not Sorry
Contrary to popular belief, it's okay to say no. Many people believe that the key to a happy life is to always say yes because if you always say yes, you will never miss out. With that being said, always saying yes can also get you into very stressful situations that could have easily been avoided.
Anyone who knows me knows that the word "no" is not a word that I normally use. I am all for excitement, adventure and trying new things. Being fun and spontaneous are great qualities to have, but it is important to know when to say no.
Only you know what you are and are not comfortable with and what the main stressors are in your life. Not to sound selfish, but you must care for yourself before you care for anyone else. Now, mothers, I know what you may be thinking, "My children come first" or if you are married, "My husband/wife comes first". While this is a selfless thought, there are things you need to think about. Can your children be properly taken care of by someone who is not physically, emotionally and mentally healthy? Sure, you can get by, but is this the best way? Wives/girlfriends, can a relationship survive if one or both partners are not happy with themselves? Again, you can get by, but this does not make for a healthy relationship.
I want you to look at the things in your life that stress you out. Are you overwhelmed at work, but your boss is asking if you'd like to take some voluntary overtime? Are your kids acting out, but your friend is asking you to babysit so that she can go get her nails done? Are you strapped for cash, but your family asked you to go out to dinner on Friday night? These are all situations in which most of us feel inclined to say yes because we feel that if we say no, someone will be upset with us. In situations such as these though, we need to consider the repercussions that saying yes will have on us. If you say yes to your boss about the overtime, you are sacrificing time with your family and sleep. If you say yes to your friend about babysitting her children, you risk getting overwhelmed and raising your blood pressure which can cause both physical and emotional issues. If you say yes to your family about eating out, you risk not being able to feed your family for the rest of the week or not having enough gas to get to work for the rest of the week.
If it doesn't feel right or it will put you in a bind, just say no. It will be okay. Maybe someone will be upset with you for a few days, but when you consider your other options, this is not a big deal. Also, do not feel the need to explain yourself. If someone is truly upset with you for saying no to a small favor, is that really the kind of person you want in your life anyway? Just as the world does not owe you anything, you do not owe the world anything. If there is any chance that a certain situation will harm you physically, mentally or emotionally, say no and don't feel the need to make an excuse. My challenge for you this week is to let us know what you said no to this week, and why you feel good about it. Once you are finished reading this, go back to the Facebook post and leave us a comment using #ISaidNo.
