I'm not a big fan of rejection. Nothing stings more than the awful feeling I get in the pit of my stomach that the two-letter word brings. My own aversion to the word may be the contributing factor to why I find it so hard to use. For some people, it flows quite naturally out of their mouths. But, for me, it gets stuck on its way out. Jammed in the middle of my throat, before it sinks straight down as I swallow it back.
"Yes" seems to have the opposite effect. A word that flies carelessly wherever it sees fit. A nod of the head, eager to comply, eager to please even though I don't always mean it.
I've lived most of my life as a "yes" girl who has found favor with others because of my inability to say no. Instead of relying on my own intuition, I've let guilt persuade me into accepting things that I shouldn't have. But, that doesn't have to be.
If you're anything like me, saying no doesn't come easy. It's hard, but it isn't impossible. There's power in the word "no" that belongs to you because it is your decision after all.
Saying "no" takes a lot of confidence. You have to be confident in your decision and strong enough not to let the potential backlash bother you. It's okay not to pick up a coworker's shift or turn down a party invitation because you're not up to it. Whatever the request may be, it's completely okay to turn it down.
It's taken me 21 years for me to finally be comfortable with that fact, but all it takes is a little practice. Saying no doesn't make you an awful person. It makes you an honest person.
Don't let the pressure of guilt persuade you into saying yes to something you don't want to do. In the end, you'll feel so much happier by staying true to your decision.
Remember, it's only a simple two letter word, so just say no.
