Be comfortable with ‘no’ – I used to be such a people-pleaser that I consistently and willingly said ‘yes’ to things when I really would have preferred to say no. I didn’t know how to say no. I thought people would think I was being unreasonable if I said no.
The first time I actually did say ‘no’ to someone it was quite a revelation. The world didn’t fall apart, the person didn’t hate me and it actually felt really good. I realized that people respect you when you are able to say no with confidence. I realized that people actually didn’t expect me to say yes all the time – that was my expectation, not theirs.
When you learn how to say no confidently and graciously to things that are not a good fit, you will feel energized because you will stop giving your power away.
If you have trouble saying no, here are a couple of phrases that may help you feel better about it:
“I’m sorry, but that doesn’t work for me right now. I’ll get back to you if anything changes.”
“I appreciate you asking and I’m not able to do that now.”
“I’m flattered that you asked me, and I’m not in a situation where I can take this on right now.”
Get better about saying no and you will feel better about yourself.
The first time I actually did say ‘no’ to someone it was quite a revelation. The world didn’t fall apart, the person didn’t hate me and it actually felt really good. I realized that people respect you when you are able to say no with confidence. I realized that people actually didn’t expect me to say yes all the time – that was my expectation, not theirs.
When you learn how to say no confidently and graciously to things that are not a good fit, you will feel energized because you will stop giving your power away.
If you have trouble saying no, here are a couple of phrases that may help you feel better about it:
“I’m sorry, but that doesn’t work for me right now. I’ll get back to you if anything changes.”
“I appreciate you asking and I’m not able to do that now.”
“I’m flattered that you asked me, and I’m not in a situation where I can take this on right now.”
Get better about saying no and you will feel better about yourself.
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