Forty Ways to Say No

I'll be turning thirty-nine in a few months. One more year of being "thirtysomething". It went so quickly. Too quickly. I feel like time speeds up the older you become. But my thirties were filled with so much - watching my older two children find their footing in this world, fulfilling my quest for a more meaningful life by pursuing my Bachelor's of Nursing degree, giving birth to two more amazing children, and celebrating fifteen years of marriage. And, of course, the simple chaos of day-to-day life.

In the spirit of entering the next decade of my life, I am being proactive and changing my blog name from 'Thirty Summers' to 'Forty Ways to Say No'. Well, actually, I had the opportunity to sell my domain name to a blogger in Australia, and I figured what better time to make a change!

So...'Forty Ways to Say No' was born (at the suggestion of a good friend). It is perfect. I'll be forty in a little over a year. The word "no" is an integral part of keeping the chaos under control with four children. And, more importantly, saying "no" to anyone but my children is a skill I have yet to master. I often take on more than I should out of obligation and the desire to please others. Most of the time, I feel physically incapable of telling others "no". Which leads to frustration and anger and regrets and a whole boatload of other feelings on my part because I have committed to something I don't really want to do.

So, this is it. I am empowering myself to say "no" more often.  I have a feeling it is going to be amazing!

"It is only in saying 'No' that you can concentrate on the things that are really important." -Steve Jobs

"Saying 'Yes' to happiness means learning to say 'No' to the things and people that stress you out." -Thema Davis

"When you say 'Yes' to others, make sure you are not saying 'No' to yourself." -Paulo Coehlo

"Saying 'No' can be the ultimate self-care." -Claudia Black

"'No' is a complete sentence and so often we forget that. When we don't want to do something we can simply smile and say 'No'. We don't have to explain ourselves, we can just say 'No'." -Susan Gregg

"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble." -Mahatma Gandhi