How often do you say YES to things that you badly want to say NO to? Just to please your spouse, friends, or children, or look good and well-behaved in front of your boss and colleagues? Just to fit into a certain norm? Just to feel loved and accepted?

As a person who is expected to follow certain societal norms and live by people’s expectations, all of us, at many times, end up doing things that we would rather avoid. It can be anything as simple as –

◾️Going to an event when you are very tired
◾️Taking up an assignment when you have several other pending
◾️Doing a favor when it is really not in your favor
◾️Lending money by overstretching your means
◾️Taking up a hobby/job that you don’t enjoy
◾️Living in a relationship that’s not meant for you
◾️Adopting a culture/religion that you do not believe in

Every time you say a YES instead of a NO, you sacrifice a part of yourself to make others happy. Letting go of your dreams, your needs, and your desires slowly put you in a place where you lose who you actually are. You lose touch with things, interests, and a life that makes you feel happy and alive.

Saying NO is the first step to loving yourself

If you are wondering why self-love is so crucial in the first place, you must read this – How loving yourself can bring ultimate joy & contentment?

The key to happiness lies in being truly, madly, and crazily in love with you! Self-love can make you see and do things that you really want. It helps you to keep yourself on top of the priority list.

Do you know what the first step to self-love is? Learning to say ‘NO’!
Say no to that neighbor for paying an unwanted visit to your house; no to your friend for an out-of-budget shopping spree; no to your spouse for unwanted behavior; no to your children for disturbing you in your personal space!

We know how rude it may sound at first. Saying NO to people you love and admire, just to make yourself happy, can easily classify as a selfish act. Besides, thinking about people’s judgment of you for saying NO can scare you off. You may feel uneasy, doubtful, selfish, and ugly.

But, in the end, it will all be worth it. Unless you can say NO to others and YES to your own