For a variety of reasons, we say yes more often than we should. This triggers excess stress and stifles honest communication. But what if saying yes is actually the poorer choice? The truth is, we cannot excel at everything. So knowing how and when to say no is not only personally healthy but it can actually be the kindest answer we can give.
Intellectually understanding the value of saying no is much easier than the actual execution of it. Faced with a request, in the moment, it can be hard to not just say yes. That’s why I wanted to share several helpful insights, exercises, and ways to reframe both your answer, and your thinking, around how to say no.
“I feel like being honest in my yeses and nos allows me to be more kind. It might not always be perceived as nice but it’s kind in that it’s honest... I like the question of: What if love, what if acting out of love, might look like a yes and a no?” – Dr. Sara Dill
A Mind at Home with Itself: How Asking Four Questions Can Free Your Mind, Open Your Heart and Turn Your World Around by Byron Katie
