Hey Mac Families,
How often do you say no?
I'm not talking about the times you say no to your kiddos when they ask for water for the billionth time after bedtime or when they ask for a sleepover. I'm also not talking about declining an invitation by explaining all of the details about why you can't go.
I'm talking about the times you say just "No," all by itself.
- Would you be able to volunteer for the Fall Festival? No.
- Can you join us for my Tupperware party on Thursday night? No.
- Can you take me to my six doctor appointments? No.
- Can you talk on the phone? No.
Although I have been working on feeling comfortable saying no for over a year now, I still find myself stumbling over my explanations and excuses and I'm sorry's.
No is a complete sentence.
Or so they say... right?
But man, is it a hard sentence to stick to.
I understand that I don't owe anyone an explanation for my No. But just saying "No" is out of the ordinary for most people, and it's out of the ordinary to hear. I try to be respectful if someone says "No" to me without any other details. But not gonna lie, I wanna know WHY. :)
I have come up with a list of alternatives to a straight up "No" that are a bit gentler but still don't offer any reasons. And you know me and lists...
- Nope. (I'm kidding, don't say that. LOL!)
- I can't.
- Thank you for offering, but no.
- Not this time.
- I appreciate the invitation, but I can't make it.
- I'm not available.
- I'm busy that night.
- I'm afraid I can't make it.
- I can't take on another commitment right now.
- And the tried and true, no thank you.
Have any other ideas? Email me!
I kinda want to start a support group for people who just want to say no without going down the rabbit hole of their life story. We could post stories of our experiences and tell each other that we are doing a great job just saying no. Would you join?
Peace ☮️, Love ❤️, & Macaroni 🌼,
Christen
