Freedom to Say, "No"

The ability to say, "No," is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.  Too often, we become overwhelmed in life because we fear that agreeing to do something for others is expected and if we decline, then we have somehow done something wrong. This kind of thinking leads us to become resentful, exhausted and sick.

Trust me, this is not an easy lesson to learn.  I didn't become good at it until well after I turned 50 and I still have to remind myself that it is OK to let go.  Recently, I had to let go of several duties I had taken on.  They were duties I had enjoyed, but, had now become burdensome when coupled with responsibilities at home and work as well as battling Epstein Barre virus. I knew in order to get back on my feet, I needed to give up some of what I was doing.

Letting go, saying no, making wise choices about how to use what energy and resources you have is difficult, but you can get the hang of it with practice.  

As we get close to the end of this first month of the new year, let's challenge ourselves to be better at saying no without guilt or regrets.

Here is a great article from the Mayo Clinic on this very subject: 
Stress Relief: When and how to say no