A while ago, I watched a video discussing the concept of setting boundaries with individuals and not allowing them to take advantage, and something that was said in this particular video truly resonated with me – the man narrating the video said something along the lines of “not enough people have been told it before, but sometimes, you simply need to tell them no.”
I did not do that quote any justice whatsoever, but its gist remains.
This acclamation prompted me to consider its validity, and further, its relevance given the times we are living in. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the pandemic, unfortunately, led a lot of people to believe that they’re entitled and therefore superior to others, along with their wants and needs, and these are the exact type of people that need to be told no now and then.
I often find myself truly struggling to tell someone no. I simply cannot say the word outright and leave it at that; rather, any time I tell someone no, I feel oblidged to provide them with reasoning as to why I said no, as if I owe them an explanation. Hence the beauty in the idea of saying no to someone, and nothing else. You don’t need to justify your answer, and you don’t need to somehow reassure the person you said no to in order to make yourself feel better about the exchange. There isn’t anything wrong in saying no (obviously context varies), and we shouldn’t feel guilty when we opt for no as an answer as opposed to yes.
Personally, I know my difficulty in saying no to someone stems from being a people pleaser my entire life, but I’m trying to work on that. It is not easy, hence why I struggle to tell people no, but I’m trying to be better, and I think we could all benefit from this idea.
ontheedgeofeverything 