“No” is a complete sentence.”
~Anne Lamott
A good friend of mine recently told me a story vaguely familiar to the ones I’ve heard from her before. The ending always concludes with, “well, and I agreed to do it because so and so is really really busy… OR… he’s not sure how to do it himself…OR… it’s probably just easier for me because I know the ins and out of such and such… OR… It’s not a big deal, I can find the time.”
I asked her if she wanted to do the favor requested. She thought about it for a second, and said, “I guess I just never thought about anything other than saying yes… but no… actually I don’t want to do it!”
Why do we say yes when we don’t want to?
Is it a fear of not being liked?
Is it because saying “yes” has become a habit?
Is it our round about way of feeding our need to FEEL needed?
When we conjure up the inner strength to choose from our heart what is good for us and utter the word “no,” we are very much tending to ourselves in a way that really no one else will.
So, if you are a habitual “yes” person, try this on for the next few days: Simply say “no thank you” to requests you deep down know ultimately drain you of what makes you feel balanced, strong, and whole.
All my best,
Meg
