No is OK

​NO is OK
Saying no is great and sometimes hearing no is even better.
I learned in more recent years that the people who are the busiest are also the people who get requested to do the most. This is because they are seen in many cases as reliable and they are the ‘go-getters’ that everyone wants to work with. The problem with being one of those people is that some days saying “no” can feel guilty. I do not consider myself a people pleaser but I do consider myself a supportive person. I always want to be there for my friends and then there is the work aspect where I like to keep myself aware of the happenings around the city and support others endeavors. I have literally been building a brand over the past few years where the entire goal is to support others, so yes, I believe that I need to show up. The problem arose when I got sick earlier this year. I literally said yes until I was sick and couldn’t trying to be everywhere supporting everyone. Ignore the signs of your body if you want to but eventually your body will win. It is okay to say no, when it’s the only day out of the month that you don’t have any commitments. It’s okay to sit on your couch and do nothing! It’s okay to say no, when there are overlapping events so you are leaving early or arriving late. It’s okay. I realized that I could support in other ways such as simply sharing the information with others that were looking for things to do. Your presence is amazing but your health (mental and physical) by far is more important.
Now when it comes to hearing, no, most people don’t like that. It means we are not getting our way. The simplest way to view this is that every no gets you closer to a yes. Sometimes hearing no, puts the fire under you that is necessary for you to grind that much harder.
All you have to do is believe that NO is a complete sentence, you don’t owe anyone an explanation and be okay with hearing it. 

LeKeisha Nicole
​Dayton, Ohio