“Sometimes you have to say ‘no’ to others in order to say ‘yes’ to yourself, otherwise, you will end up bitter and resentful, feeling that somewhere in the process of trying to keep others happy, you lost yourself.  You are valuable, and you need to do things that you want to do as well as doing things for others.”

I read this in my Joyce Meyer devotional for today, and I thought, “I have to share this in my blog!”

How often we put incredible pressure on ourselves to be all things to all people!  Our stress levels would go down dramatically if we practiced saying ‘no’ to the demands others try to place on us. Here are three tips to help encourage you to say ‘no’ when you need to:

  1. Let your heart lead the way.  You may not fully understand why a particular request or opportunity does not seem right for you.  I have learned, if I get that feeling, I am not going to go against my own conscience in order to have everyone be happy with me.
  2. The ‘why’ is not important. Many times we feel that we need to justify why we are saying no, but we really do not.  If you are directed by integrity and ‘right-thinking’, you will know when it is time to set a good personal boundary and save your time and energy for what is most important.  We all have 24 hours in a day and we must be very selective in how we spend them!
  3. Many times we let ‘good’ stand in the way of ‘great’. If we are so busy doing lots of good things, we may completely miss the great things God has in store for us!  People will gladly fill up your time if you let them.  Remember, YOU are responsible and accountable for how you spend the hours in your day.  SPEND THEM WISELY!

Managing stress is such an important part of living a healthy balanced life.  Learning to have the confidence to say ‘no’ when you need to is part of living a disciplined life that leads to peace and balance.

For your busy life, you deserve a stress-free, delicious, and balanced breakfast- Spinach and Tomato Eggs Benedict Casserole.  Enjoy!