NO, NO A THOUSAND TIMES NO!


recently i have been introduced to a remarkable woman with an amazing story of how she took all her talents in the world and without any 'formal training' in what she now does, became a pretty respected individual in her field. hearing her story inspired me.

she also led me to her blog DARE TO DREAM a website designed to inspire women to reach a little farther and obtain the goals they were sent here to do! and every day i *run over there to see what new inspiration she's cooked up for the day.

her latest blog has especially taught me a lot about myself. it's a lesson i only recently discovered i needed to learn. how to say NO!

i know that sounds really dumb... of course that should be an easy thing to say... but it's not.

those of you that know me know that i am constantly"on the go." my roommates are surprised when they see me at home, eating dinner, resting??? is it really you?

granted i work a lot... but then there's that other part of me. the part of me that doesn't know how to say no. the one that seeks for validation by being "needed" by others. it's camouflaged in the well-meaning admonition to serve others. but me... yeah i take this whole "do everything" attitude to a whole new unhealthy level!

+ the missionaries just called and need me to do this or that- sure
+ a friend had a bad day and could really use a friend- okay after the missionaries- i'm all yours
+ hey don't forget to pick up that one book for our thing tomorrow because i can't do it myself- yeah no problem
+ ummm can you come in early to work today so we can get the one thing done- right-o! i will be there with bells on.
+ i was wondering...- absolutely! whatever you need me to do! i'm your gal!

by the end of each week i take a mental tally of all the things i actually accomplished for myself and it turns out-- am so the under-dog in my own life. and it's no one's fault but my own.

in whitney's blog she references a book "The Power of a Positive No" written by William Ury. i am taking this incredibly insightful excerpt directly from whitney's blog:

I learned...[the importance of saying no] early on in my career from the...extraordinarily successful investor Warren Buffett. Over breakfast one day, he confided in me that the secret to creating his fortune was his ability to say No. "I sit there and look at investment proposals all day. I say No, No, No No, No, No--until I see one that is exactly what I am looking for. And then I say Yes. All I have to do is say Yes a few times in my life and I've made my fortune." Every important Yes requires a thousand Nos.


so onward-ho. let's learn how to say 'no' together, shall we? saying yes, when it works for us- when it's healthy and balanced to do so. saying no when it's important to manage my own life. my own self.

is anyone as bad at this as i am???