Say YES to Saying No!
Something that I have always struggled with is setting boundaries and allowing not only people but myself as well coerce me into always saying yes. When I’m tired, uncomfortable, and busy or just want to be plain ole lazy I would say yes to whatever the task was (given it was ethical). I started to realize that I was taking care of others more than I was taking care of myself. It left me feeling totally exhausted and I came to the realization that I simply cannot do everything. If you aren’t taking care of yourself then you can’t take care of people around you. Being a "hard charging people person" (even by job description) this was and is still a hard nuance to rationalize.
I’m realizing in life that the ability to say no is an infrequent and valuable skill. Learning to say no is extremely important and it was important for me to soul search, especially while I was pregnant, to understand why. The answer that I discovered, was that it is essential in order to devote more time and energy to the things that matter most. Initially when I started this process it was a little hard and I felt really guilty. I am now happy that it has given me more time to focus on the things that I’m happy to say YES to.
Shaton Robinson I greatly enjoyed your post! I too have struggled with saying "NO", like yourself I find this occurs often when I am "tired, uncomfortable, and busy". I am learning to not answer so swiftly. Sometimes I don't even consider the question or request until my soul is right. Sometimes they may be in the morning or the next month. I agree that saying No is essential to living a Purposeful life. As I have learned to say, No I find that some friends and family feel that I am "not supportive" or dismissive, however this isn't my intention and often a silent prayer is the best possible Yes or Support that can be given. When you are spent, tied.com and important things are falling to the wayside, we don't serve anyone by saying Yes. These days l am listening closely to what God would have me do. Peace and Blessings on your journey.
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