Everyday you’re faced with circumstances that will push you to make decisions. Most times it’s either a “Yes” or a “No”. The answer you give will either make you happy or sad. Of course, although nobody will happily choose sadness, there have been times when you sacrificed your happiness or peace of mind for the happiness of others.
We know “yes” to denote positivity, optimism or openness to receive only the best, while “no” denotes the negative, pessimism or closed doors. Over time I realized that if you want to say “yes” to a happy, blissful life, you need to start saying more “nos”. Hard to believe? Here are 4 reasons why saying “no” is actually good for you.
- People start respecting you
When you are clear about what you want, never be afraid to draw the line. People will respect you when you respect yourself and your time. Drawing boundaries keeps you empowered. You will not be treated like a doormat or push over. Saying “no” will give the impression that you have a life and you have things you value. But most of all it tells people who value YOUR time. Time is an asset you can’t take back so you’d rather spend it on something more worthwhile.
- It’s an act of self-love
Serving people is a good thing. But you’ll only be able to give quality service if and only if you give it to yourself first. Remember the saying “love your neighbour as yourself”? Saying “no” so that you have time for yourself is a way of showering yourself with love. You give yourself, your comfort and your goals priority over others. All these build you up. When you’re strong in your love and appreciation of yourself and your mission in life, it is so much easier to be there for others. Self care and love is needed for a fulfilling life.
- You save time
You know how you always say “I don’t have time” or “I have so much to do”? If you honestly examine your life and daily activities you’ll observe that 99.9% of the time you could have used to do something so much more important, is spent on devoting your time to someone else. Saying NO regularly gets rid of the selfish people in your life. You’ll no longer have to deal with their unreasonable requests or fit other’s activities into your itinerary, if it is not convenient.
- You are in control of your life
When you say “yes” to everything and everyone around you, you’ll find your life being dictated by people. They’ll be the one who will encroach on your time and space. Saying “no” gives you the upper hand in your life. No one will be able to tell you how you should spend your day. When you begin to say “no” you will be able to plan your time and do the things you want to do. You will have a life to live and goals to pursue.
Don’t underrate the powerful word “NO”. It may be small yet difficult to say. But when you’re able to break free and make the transition, you will be the one who will live your life on your own terms and not on the terms of others.
Do you struggle to say no regularly?
