When you say no to something you are saying YES to something else. This last week has proven that to be once again. Dear universe, I hear you loud and clear!
I’ve had to ramp up my ‘no’ muscle lately and to be honest it has been a little uncomfortable. But the slight discomfort I’ve felt saying no can’t even touch the freedom and joy I have felt afterwards. Saying no for me is about trusting my intuition. It’s about accepting that not everyone is going to be happy with my decisions all of the time. Saying no is also about standing in my truth and living in alignment with my path.
Last week I caught a cold and decided to slow down and rest instead of trying to push through it. It’s these little victories that remind me of how far I have come and how much work there still is to do! A cold is not a big deal in the scheme of things and because I took off work and rested I am on the mend. The bigger lesson here is that I was doing too much and needed to say no to a few things. My body was speaking to me and I got the message. It was time for a self care overhaul. I was 100 percent in.
During my few days off work I rested. And by rest I mean drank gallons of broth, read, napped, journaled, and watched countless hours of The Voice. Can we PLEASE talk about Pharrell Williams for a second? Um, what?! He’s blowing my heart open on that show with his humble approach and sincerity. I like his track Happy just as much as the next person, but seeing him as a mentor like this has totally changed my view of him. Pharrell is just awesome.
Okay, I’m back from my digression. This is what happens when I spend too many hours at home….!
So yeah. Saying no. It’s a spiritual practice that I am learning (the hard way more often than I care to admit) to get into. Yes, you read that correctly, saying no is a spiritual practice. And a super potent one at that.
Most of us take on way too much. We’re over extended, busy all the time, tired, and for what? How can we be of maximum service to ourselves, each other, and our communities if we are constantly running on fumes?
We need to slow down.
We need to conserve our energy.
We need to say no.
Trust me. Saying no is spiritual and it will rock your world.
Get into it.
Who cares what people think. You don’t have to do it all.
And while you’re at it drop the explanations. You don’t need to explain a thing. You are enough and so is your no.
But do be polite. A little kindness goes really far, especially when declining. Perhaps a no thank you?
Because the beauty is, when we say no to one thing, we say yes to something else.
Saying no to an event is saying yes to a night of much needed relaxation and rest. Saying no to a book deal (just did that a few weeks ago!) is saying yes to even more exciting writing opportunities that come your way (more soon I promise!). Saying no to teaching a workshop is saying yes to nurturing your relationships because let’s face, it none of us seem to have enough time for the people we care about the most.
Listen, I am turning into the No Lady over here and I can’t even count how many amazing things have happened since I declared this my new spiritual practice. The universe hears you. It might not give you what you want when you want it, but it has your back. Take a risk. Let go.
Saying no is also saying yes.
And when you contemplate that profound teaching and decide to take action on it, your entire life opens up in beautiful unexpected ways.
If saying no is challenging for you I get it. It is not my strongest area either. All that is required is that we show up and practice. Building a new muscle takes work. There might be some soreness in the beginning. It might feel weird. But over time we get stronger and saying no becomes an integrated practice and we enjoy it! And that’s when things get really good.
Is there something you want to say no to but haven’t yet? Do you feel like you are doing too much and need to pull back and say no to some of it? Are you an expert no-sayer?
xoa
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