Saying no and setting boundaries are crucial to any self-love practice. If you have difficulty saying no, and you are constantly overwhelmed, overbooked, and exhausted, it is time to make a change. Take some time to set your priorities and schedule time to get the important things done, time to focus, time for yourself, time for your family, and time for your friends, and then affirm the time that is non-negotiable. This will be the time for you, and for your own projects, and you will no longer be saving it to be filled by someone else’s needs. If you are available and you want to do it because it feels good to you, it is fine, but if you are doing it because you can’t say no, it is time to change.
You can start small to practice saying no to things that do not have any major consequence to you or to others involved, like saying no when someone hands you a flyer on the street. You can then start moving on to choosing when to say yes and when to say no in your life. Keep in mind that you may face some resistance at first, by those who are used to you saying yes at all times. You could let them know that you are practicing honoring your time and your needs.
You can also practice by saying no to yourself: no to eating another slice of cake, no to skipping yoga or the gym, no to postponing working on your life’s purpose until tomorrow, no to numbing your feelings by watching TV, etc. Here is a quote to encourage you to say no to your distractions, so that you get the important things done: “Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.” – Elbert Hubbard
Say NO and make what is most meaningful to you, your priority today.
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