3 Simple Steps To Unlocking The Power of NO
By Allison Cohen, M.A., MFT. Posted on .
3. Challenge The Irrational Beliefs That Prevent You From Saying NO - Friends won’t stop talking to you and family won’t disown you. Surely anyone that hears a “NO” from you won’t be thrilled. They might even be a little annoyed and that’s okay. Everyone is entitled to their feelings and no matter what frustration they may experience, it will never be significant enough to sever ties (assuming you maintain your ‘balance’). Moods will pass. Disappointment will dissipate and you’ll be left feeling assertive, confident and recharged.
If you think about it, it’s easy to say “yes.” We avoid conflict, guilt and anger by acquiescing to others' needs but ultimately suffer, as we stuff our desires in a box. The path to true freedom lies in our ability to be brave and blaze our own trails by sometimes saying NO.
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When all is said and done, we want to present our best selves and be everything to everyone. The problem however is that we have different levels of capability that change, soar and sink every single day. Give yourself the gift of honoring those limitations. Push yourself to rise to the occasion when you can and take those opportunities to RSVP NO to the “shoulds” in your life when you need to. It’s the most powerful word you’ll ever use.
