In just about any situation a person would find himself in, where he would have to decide between now and then, today and tomorrow, this and that, “I’m sorry” is probably not as hard as saying “no.”
A one-syllable word, a two-letter utterance, but many people have a heck of a time saying “no.” And this is a disability that ultimately not only makes an individual overloaded with work, pressed for time and/or resources or faced with the burden of having to settle for poor workmanship.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Indeed, why is “no” so hard to say sometimes?
Here are some of the reasons:
- Not wanting to hurt people’s feelings. People have trouble saying “no” because they are afraid the other party might take offense.
- Wanting to please others. A good number of people live for the approval of others, which can be a very stressful experience, if not kept to a minimum.
- Fear of losing opportunities. Others simply believe that saying “no” might mean closing their doors to opportunities.
- Wanting to help. A lot of people sincerely want to help, even if that would mean taking too much of themselves.
- Fear of severing relationships. Saying “no” does not have to mean burning bridges. Saying “no” simply means knowing one’s priorities, more so, one’s boundaries.
Financially speaking, saying “no” can be really tough, too, especially if a person is not used to doing it. But the more he does it, the easier it gets eventually.
Laying out a monthly budget and sticking to it requires one to say “no” to overspending and “yes” to long-term financial goals.
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Were you thinking about me when you wrote this? 🙂 I do have a difficulty saying no. I don’t want to displease others, and all those other reasons you listed. I must practice now, before I pass on this habit to my kid.
i learned it from my Mom and now i am passing it on to my kids 🙂
what a co-incidence, we are thinking of the same topic hihi
@ Pepperrific … I was actually thinking of me some years ago when I wrote this. But I agree with you. As parents, it’s imperative that we teach our children through example. They learn better that way. 😀
@ Joy … mothers do think alike, don’t they? 😀