It's just two letters long and the same across so many languages. So why is the word "no" sometimes so hard to say?
More importantly, how can we say it with less anxiety and more grace?
There are lots of reasons why we might feel reluctant to say no, many of them fear-based.
There's good old-fashioned "FOMO," for instance, whether that's the fear of missing out on a fun dinner with friends or a work project that could lead to a promotion.
There's also the fear of conflict, and the fear (and guilt! ) of potentially disappointing someone.
We all want to be accepted and liked, and saying "yes"-- although it might eventually lead to something that you don't actually want to do-it often feels much easier in the moment.
Basically: We don't want to be a jerk, and we don't want to miss out on stuff.
So before we get to how to say gracefully say no, let's take a look at those two fears. Firstly, FOMO.
If you're constantly saying yes because you're afraid of missing out, consider this: By saying yes, you are already missing out on other things that you would be doing during the time and with the energy that you've just committed to something that you aren't actually excited about.
It's important to be able to discern the difference between good and bad uses of your time, or even good and great uses of it, and we'll get to that in a minute.
