Title: The Most Powerful Two-Letter Word
From childhood, we are taught to be obedient. We are taught that saying "Yes" is polite and saying "No" is rude. As adults, this conditioning turns us into people-pleasers. We say yes to events we don't want to attend. We say yes to work that isn't ours. We say yes until we are burnt out and resentful.
We forget that "No" is a complete sentence. It does not require an explanation or an apology. When you say "Yes" to others when you want to say "No," you are saying "No" to yourself. You are devaluing your own time and energy.
Setting boundaries is not selfish; it is necessary. People may get angry when you start saying no, but those are usually the people who were profiting from your lack of boundaries. Respect your own limits, and the world will learn to respect them too.