Saying No is Easy…You Just Need to Practice

A few days ago, my friend Shannon texted me while I was freaking out about meeting all my work deadlines and other various projects I had committed to, which all seemed to be culminating at once. Shannon was watching a remodeling show on TV and saw a room that made her think of me.

“I’m watching Room Crashers,” said her text. “They are designing a room that is so you! The floors are from wine barrels. The chandelier is IN a wine barrel. It is so Tuscan. It reminds me of your style.”

Wow! I thought. I wish I lived in a house that had floors made from wine barrels – preferably ones from which I had consumed the contents. Shannon urged me to turn on my TV and check it out. “I wish I could,” I lamented in my text back to her. “Stressed with work today! I have too many irons in the fire. Need to learn to say no!” 😛

Shannon, my dear friend who always helps me see a different perspective, and can creative problem solve my life’s crises on the fly, responded immediately with, “Practice: Karla do you want to rob a bank?”

Me:      Um…not today, but can I let you know if I have room in my schedule tomorrow?

S:        Do you want to dye your hair gray?

K:        (That last answer was wrong, wasn’t it?)… NO!!!

S:        Do you want to gain a hundred pounds?

Do you want to be single forever?

Do you want sextuplets?

K:        No!!! Especially NO to sextuplets!!!

S:        Do you want to drive a bus full of middle schoolers?

Do you want to pull weeds?

K:        God No! No! NO!!!!!

S:        You’re getting better 😉

That little exchange between us had me laughing and marveling at how quickly my perspective changed from one of stress and feeling overwhelmed to one of amusement and the realization that I really did have the power to say no whenever I needed to take back control of my time. Shannon easily helped me see that with a few quick-witted texts. Suddenly the absurdity of what I was stressed about faded away. I would meet all my deadlines. I would get done exactly what needed to get done.

“This is why I love you!” I texted back to my friend. “You know all the right questions to ask me to help me grow! See how awesome you are?” 🙂

“Did you turn on the TV yet?” said the next text.

“No. I wish I could, but I will have to look it up online later,” I replied.

“See?” wrote Shannon. “And you thought you couldn’t say no.”