The Art Of Saying NO: How To Stand Your Ground, Reclaim Your Time And Energy, And Refuse To Be Taken For Granted (Without Feeling Guilty!) (The Art Of Living Well Book 1)

by Damon Zahariades

First, think about where your obligations begin and end when it comes to strangers.

panhandlers.

Remember, you don’t need other people’s approval.

How To Say No To Yourself

When you give in to temptations, you become a slave to your impulses. The resulting short-term gratification often comes at the expense of long-term fulfillment.

When you resist temptations with declarative statements that begin with “I don’t…” you become the architect of a life built upon healthy intentions.

When you consent to other people’s requests and put their priorities ahead of your own, you give up control of precious resources - most notably your time.

Once these resources are squandered, they cannot be reclaimed.

A request that’s promised to take “a couple of minutes” ends up taking half an hour. A favor that’s promised to take an hour ends up consuming half the day.

Moreover, the cumulative demand of numerous small requests can be substantial. Saying yes to multiple people can easily swallow your most productive hours.