Human interaction is necessary for one’s well-being, but does that imply putting other’s needs before one’s own? Definitely not!
How often have you accepted an invitation to a function you don’t want to attend, or met a group of friends you hate hanging out with? I’m sure more than once.
In such situations, a simple ‘NO’ would save you a lot of time, energy and money, as Sarah Knight explains in her Ted Talk :
How I started saying ‘NO’ :
I’m an introvert who gets along with very few people. I observe a lot, especially people’s expressions, so when someone is rude, intentionally or unintentionally, I pick up on that really soon. I overthink, so I spend the next day, or week, obsessively thinking about why that person was so inhuman? I am also sensitive, and I often cry about things people say or do.
Around ten years ago, I had a huge group of friends in 12th grade, many of whom I couldn’t stand. After the 12th grade, I used to meet them for movies or parties, but each time I came back home I would cry, because of something they said or did.
It was then that I realised that I didn’t need them in my life, as all they made me feel was rotten. That was the first time, at the age of 18, that I started moving away from people who didn’t make me happy. Although it made me look like a bit**, it gave me peace, and that is what really mattered to me.
Till this day I do just that, I move away from those who don’t serve any purpose in my life, and I have never been happier.
Death :
Living with no regrets brings me to the topic of death.
I’ve always been afraid of death, until I read this yesterday in Paulo Coelho’s book 'Like The Flowing River' :
‘People do not think very much about death. They spend their lives worrying about absurdities; they put things off, and fail to notice important moments. They don’t take risks, because they think it’s dangerous. They complain a lot, but are afraid to take action. They want everything to change, but they themselves refuse to change. — If they thought a little more about death, they would never forget to make that much-postponed phone call. They would be a little crazier. They would not be afraid of this incarnation coming to an end, because you cannot fear something that is going to happen anyway. — It would be foolish to be frightened by death, because all of us, sooner or later, are going to die. And only those who accept this fact are prepared for life.’
My advice :
Don’t be afraid of saying ‘NO’. Live life on your own terms, and don’t regret a thing!
Thank you for reading! Stay blessed!
©TheKindTempest
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash.