How many times have you wanted to say 'NO', and yet found yourself saying 'YES' instead? What happened?
Most probably you have an internal voice that tells you it's not OK to say 'no'. It tells you that saying 'no' is rude, impolite or not nice. But wait a minute. What about you? Are you being true to yourself when you do not listen to your own voice?
My guess is, you have a good reason to want to say 'no'. You may have had a rough day or week, or maybe you are not feeling too well.
Imagine giving yourself permission to listen to your reason and validating it. Imagine yourself saying 'no- thank you. It doesn't work for me right now'. How does your body feel? "I feel relieved" you say. "But how do I do it? How do I have the strength and determination to stand up for myself?"
One option is to understand that you really have no control over how people feel or how they react. People choose how to feel and react. It has nothing to do with you and has everything to do with them. If they become upset with you, it's because they choose to feel this way.
Accepting this notion relieves you of feeling responsible for the feelings or reactions of others. It leaves you being responsible only for yourself.
With this in mind, go ahead and say 'NO'. Honour your SELF.
