Ep. 77 - Learning to Say No: The First Brave Act of Building Your New Normal with Kathy Washburn

Send us Fan MailA people-pleaser's guide to saying no without guilt. Three practical scripts, one story about a boss who wouldn't take no, and why no is information, not rejection.If you've ever said yes when every part of you wanted to say no, this episode is for you. Kathy opens Part 1 of the Building Your New Normal series with a personal story about a former boss who kept overriding her boundaries during one of the hardest seasons of her life, and what she learned about the difference between a reflexive yes and a real one.Drawing on Kasia Urbaniak's concept of "the Smoosh" from her book Unbound, Kathy unpacks why saying no feels so loaded for high-achieving women who've spent a lifetime being agreeable enough to be liked and independent enough to be respected. She offers three practical "flavors" of no — the delay no, the clean no, and the relational no — that listeners can practice this week, plus this episode's twenty-seconds-of-insane-courage challenge.Topics Discussed: How to say no without feeling guilty  People-pleasing recovery  Building healthy boundaries  Why high-achieving women struggle to say no  How small habits create lasting life change  Nervous system regulation and boundaries  Self-worth and self-leadership  Building your new normal  Emotional resilience after divorce  How to trust yourself againView extended shownotes hereRECEIVE the attention you need to reconnect with your purpose. Click here to learn more about individual coaching with Kathy!If this resonated, the most generous thing you can do is share it with one woman who needs to hear it. One share grows this community more than any algorithm.Follow the show on your favorite platform, and come find me on Substack at senseofpeace.substack.com — that’s where the deeper conversation lives.And if you’re ready to stop just listening and start doing this work — visit kathywashburn.net. I’d love to talk with you. Until next time — keep investing in yourself. It is always, always worth it.#SpreadMadLove