This month's article was titled Escaping the Path to Nowhere.  Indecision and inaction are the path to nowhere.  If you don't decide to do something and then take action you'll be sitting on the sidelines the rest of your life.  As discussed there are three decisions you can make for any issue.  You can say Yes, No or Maybe and they each have a consequence.    This week we are looking at that small word that is so difficult for some people to say "No".

 "You can be a good person with a kind heart and still say "No"."---Unknown

I bet if you were able to ask your parents, they would tell you that one of the first words you learned and used more than they ever wanted to hear again was "No".  No to broccoli, bedtime, and a multitude of other things.  As you started interacting with others, you started to realize that you could get more of what you wanted if you said "Yes" more often than "No".  Somewhere in that process, many people started finding difficulty in saying "No" to others and may even feel the need to justify their "No" responses.

Today's Coaching Challenge

Is it uncomfortable for you to say "No" to others, do you feel like you will be judged or rejected?  Think of how liberating it would be if you could start using that word more often without penalty.

You might be saying "Yes" to your spouse because the issue or event is really important to them. There are certainly times when you will be making a compromise much like you hope they would do for you.  However, when that's not the case, it's easier to say "No" than you might think.

Action to take

The next time you want to say "No" with kindness and respect try one of the following responses.

"I really appreciate you asking me, but I can't commit to that right now" or "Thanks for thinking of me but I can't" or "Sounds nice but I am not available", last but not least "No, thanks". 

Always supporting you,                                                                                                                                                                                                  Jan