SAYING NO

SAYING NO Sometimes the most powerful word you can say is NO. No to drama, No to foods that are not good for you, No to the negative voice inside your head that says you're not good enough, No to that victim mentality and allowing others to dictate what you should do when your heart tells you something else. Live your life for you not for anyone else. Don’t let the fear of being judged, rejected or disliked stop you from being yourself” ~Sonya Parker Sometimes I even find myself thinking “no, no, no, no” and then I blurt out “yes.” I'll give you two reasons to say NO Firstly; Saying No Doesn’t Mean You’re a Bad Person Saying no doesn’t mean that you are being rude, selfish, or unkind. These are all unhelpful beliefs that make it hard to say no. Well, as children, we learned that saying no was impolite or inappropriate. If you said no to your mom, dad, teacher, uncle, grandparents, and so on, you were most certainly considered to be being rude, and you would have probably been told off for it. Secondly: Know Your Value The second step to learning to say no is realizing that you are valuable and choosing your own opinion about yourself over others. I have learned that if you live your life depending on other people’s approval, you will never feel free and truly happy. If you depend on other people’s approval, what you are basically saying is “Their opinion of me is more important than my opinion about myself.” Helpful Tips for Saying No 1. Be direct, such as “no, I can’t” or “no, I don’t want to.” 2. Don’t apologize and give all sorts of reasons. 3. Don’t lie. Lying will most likely lead to guilt—and remember, this is what you are trying to avoid feeling. 4. Remember that it is better to say no now than be resentful later. 5. Practice saying no either by yourself or with a friend. 6. Don’t say, “I’ll think about it” if you don’t want to do it. Remember that your self-worth does not depend on how much you do for other people. Warren Buffet famously said: “Successful people say no to almost everything.” Saying no allows you to say yes to what is important to you. It allows you to be a better person because when you say yes, it comes from a good place, not from resentment or fear. It creates space for what matters most to you, rather than drowning in busyness.