One of the lessons that 2020 has taught me is the incredible power of the word No. There is something very powerful about a definitive “no” in response to a question posed. Normally, I am someone who has tried to please everyone I can because I believe in powerful relationships built on experiences and trust. However, I noticed I was starting to over extend and therefore burn myself out. Being far too young to have these feelings of exhaustion, I started to reclaim my time, my energy and therefore my mental health but telling myself “no” a lot more. While there is a little bit of a let down in not being able to follow through on something a person asks from you, there is nothing more important than taking care of yourself. What I found is that I was committing to so many activities, groups, jobs, events etc. that I was stretched too thin to really take any time for myself to recharge or enjoyment. Now, if I can offer help or anything in that regard then I will. What is powerful in the word “no” is relieving the obligation to say yes because the idea people will be disappointed in you. Those closest to me understand that sometimes I do have to say no to something that I would have approved in the past. Since attempting to make my health more of a priority, I don’t have to explain my answers to them. My time is not owed to anyone except for myself. Those who I choose to share my time with are those who I deem worth my time and energy. The beautiful thing is, “no” is a complete sentence without need of explaining.
Don’t be afraid to reclaim your energy this week!
-YFBF
PS. My humblest apologies that this is late. I lost track of time and I had trouble getting myself motivated. The good news is, you get a new post two days from today! Love you guys tons. And thank you!
Your First Black Friend 