“No” is empowering.
It is freeing.
I have spent my whole life being sensitive and empathetic to a fault. I have served others and walked on egg shells and forced myself to fit inside the boxes of others expectations so that I did not inconvenience, offend or otherwise cause them to be uncomfortable. All of this with little to no concern for myself.
Well, this past year has changed that in me. Everything I have been through seemed to culminate in me finally standing up for myself and saying NO. Enough was more than enough and I had allowed far more than I should have.
I said no to being manipulated and used and walked on. I said no to things that hurt me. I recognized that in order to be the best version of myself that I needed to be a little selfish.
I needed to be more careful of where I was using my energy. Being aware of who and what I was giving myself to and also why. And giving myself boundaries that included allowing myself to tell people “no”.
The effects of the amount of mind-fuckery (go be offended elsewhere, I never said this was going to be PG) that I went through have only started to show. And being able to say “no” is an important part of my healing and getting my head put back on straight.
A weight has been lifted from me. My anxiety is less, my stress is less. I no longer feel like I am stretched far beyond my abilities. I am no longer exhausting myself trying to meet the unrealistic expectations of others.
Make a goal for yourself and keep it. Something just for you. Be a little selfish.
And use the word “no”. It is a powerful weapon.