Be Brave Enough To Say “yes ” Or “no “
Being brave enough to live without fear of being judged or rejected at some point is not something we can achieve from one day to the next.
We are afraid of being put in a box for our thoughts, rejected because of our behavior, and for the choices we make.
There is no worse fear than we ourselves believe, and we should never forget this. This refers to our limited attitudes, our insecurities and obsessions.
Freeing ourselves from everything is like removing the skin of an annoying, worn and old snake. Removing fear in favor of courage is without a doubt the best move we can make in our lives.
Whether we believe it or not, the time when we are finally brave enough to say “yes” without fear and “no” without guilt will always come.
In the following article, we invite you to reflect on this idea so that you can practice courage and personal growth based on the similarity between how we feel and what we do.
We all live subject to different values and belief systems.
For example, our home and family tend to be our primary social system. This limits our choices and personal needs.
- We have to say or do certain things for fear of possible reactions from others.
- If we choose a particular path, we are afraid to disappoint our parents.
- We are upset if we do not meet the expectations that others have of us.
As we can see, all of these examples are something that many of us have felt at one time or another. These are quite understandable situations that should never happen.
We should never get to the extreme by simply serving others while neglecting ourselves.
This will help us to be more confident and more honest with our inner feelings.
Saying “yes” when I want to say “no”
Why do we do that? Some ask you for help at home, doing a project at work or going for a walk with friends. Even if you do not want to, you say “yes”.
- Sometimes we want to do something because we love the person. We are afraid of offending people we love and are afraid of neglecting our friendship or offending them by saying “no”.
- We also want to say “yes” when we want to be part of a group. This makes us feel included and not rejected.
- This type of behavior leads to helplessness. We cease to be ourselves. By saying “yes” all the time, others see us as solid and without our own needs to be satisfied.
Whether we believe it or not: giving rejections once in a while gives us a good balance.
Take the step: be brave enough to say “no” without guilt
We will do a small visualization exercise to describe the great benefit of saying “no”. We turn our time machine back to the time in our lives when we acted against our own desires.
The following are some simple examples to follow to understand why it’s okay to say ‘no’ without feeling guilty:
- I visualize the day when I say yes to doing a favor for a particular person.
As I explain my decision, I imagine I say no with conviction. I’m giving you a no because your request is selfish, because you are not treating me well, and because it’s to your advantage.
- I also visualize one of many moments when my partner asked me, “Do you mind doing me a favor?” I replied, “No, I do not mind”.
Now I imagine I’m more rational. I answer that it is not okay, and that I fulfill most obligations and responsibilities. I claim that being a couple is being a team and respecting each other.
The need to say “yes” without fear.
Saying “yes” when we need and want it is a way to self-validate ourselves. Every affirmation that comes directly from the heart helps to define who you are to others so that they know you better.
- I will be brave enough to say “yes” to my dreams and goals.
- Many people will not like my “yes”, but I understand this. Those who accept me as I am with all my ideas, desires and choices will do so because they respect me and want me to be true to myself.
From today, I will be brave enough to say “yes” without being afraid and “no” without feeling guilty, so that I can maintain a balance in my life.
Coexistence is respecting each other the way we are.
