Hello there! I’ve been a little busy as I just went back to work teaching and I have more subjects than ever this year. It’s great and all but I only have two hands…for now, at least. I wanted to share something with you all, however, because it’s something that has really changed my life in the last few months. 

I have finally learned to say no. 

I mean, I always knew the word existed and I had used it in certain situations, such as: 

“Would you like some raisin bread?”

“No, thank you.” 

That’s mostly because Raisins are the devil’s food and I won’t hear any arguments from anyone that says otherwise. *shudders*

Raisins aside, saying no has always been an issue for me. It’s probably because I’m a people-pleaser and I loathe any form of confrontation (unless you’re trying to get me to eat raisins…I really hate raisins). I have often found myself in uncomfortable situations simply because I wasn’t confident enough to be completely honest. I have always wanted people to like me and to see me as amiable and cooperative. 

The problem is, people will also view you as somewhat weak and this can put you in situations where you can be taken advantage of. Of course, you don’t want to find yourself going to the other extreme and becoming belligerent and unhelpful. You just have to find that balance that ensures your happiness and that you can maintain functioning personal and professional relationships. 

It isn’t easy. It has taken me many years to work on gaining the confidence to become more assertive. I have learned that I can’t keep everyone happy all the time. People will be annoyed with me. People probably won’t like me very much from time to time. All of this is normal. All of this is okay. Now, when someone asks me to do something, I consider my response carefully. Sometimes it might just be something that might cause me mild inconvenience but will benefit that person quite a lot, so I will say yes just to be kind. There is, of course, nothing wrong with doing this. If I feel that something will make me unhappy or uncomfortable, however, I will most likely say no. I do this for my own sake. 

I owe myself as much happiness as I owe other people. 

That has really become a kind of mantra for me. I do my best to be kind and thoughtful but I also do my best to look after myself. If you find yourself having trouble saying ‘no’, start off simply. I find it is often easier to say it by email or text rather than Face to face. Of course, you can also be diplomatic in your refusals. As time goes by, you will become better at doing it face to face. You may not use the actual word no, but a more polite derivative of it. No matter what, be kind, be considerate but think of your own happiness. 

So, all together now:

Nooooooo! 

Have you any tips to share? Please comment below!