Yes. Yes! YES! Y-E-S— it’s what we always want to hear, but is it what we always want to say? No—N-O it’s not.
Since childhood, we’ve been conditioned to say yes because saying no is ungrateful or rude; but is it really? Perhaps as a child, it can be— though all children eventually grow up, so what happens then? The reality is that this habit sticks with us. Oftentimes, this ideology only grows into a larger problem, creating poor communication skills.
More often than not, this poor communication results in taking on a task that you regret more than if you had just said no. How many times have you done something knowing that every fiber in your being would rather be doing anything else? When was that feeling ever wrong? Sure, it is uncomfortable saying no— but it’s even more uncomfortable saying yes!
We are only hurting ourselves by agreeing to situations that don’t serve us!
Whether it’s serving you mentally, spiritually, physically, financially, etc., making sure to prioritize yourself isn’t ungrateful or rude. I’m sure you’ve been told this before— it’s no different when it comes to the big N-O. It’s our responsibility to create boundaries that protect our peace; if we don’t, who will?
“Making sure to prioritize yourself isn’t ungrateful or rude.”
Mercedes Chioino
In a perfect world, those asking you for a favor would have your best interests in mind, but unfortunately that’s not always the reality. Don’t disappoint yourself just to satisfy someone else. The biggest disappointments are retrospective — they come in the form of regret.
Despite the popular notion that we have all the time in the world — we don’t. Time is the most valuable resource we have. If saying “no” is what it takes to preserve your time and sanity, always choose your sanity.
While I could give you a list of “times that it’s okay to say no” or “ways you can get better at saying no,” in all actuality, it makes the most sense to say no when you feel like it! There shouldn’t be any parameters on what warrants rejection. You don’t need a reason why — the fact that you don’t want to is reason enough!