A “Year of NO”? What the hell does that mean? If you’re thinking I’m starting off the year on a negative note, it’s actually the complete opposite. It’s very GOOD news!
Call it self preservation or maybe conserving my sanity. How about defending my mental and physical domain? Wait, wait, what I really mean by a year of NO, is that I’ll be saying NO to anything that stands in the way of my goals. Anything that threatens my health or safety. Anything that requires me to stretch my physical or mental reserves to the point of sparking illness or uncomfortable stress…more like DIStress.
I’m a lifetime member of the “I’ll fix it, organize it, save it, improve it, create it, make that better, let me help you, I can do it” club. I find it difficult to say no to all of the above even when I know I’ll be pushing myself beyond my limits. The pre-MS me could have recovered unscathed from this behavior. Present day me KNOWS I can’t handle the load. I’m cringing just typing that confession of perceived inability. But that’s just it. I’m not UNable to manage most of these things. I simply have to do them in my own way, on my own time schedule and not all at once…again cringing.
I have so much I’m craving to achieve in 2023 but each year dynamics/obligations change and the goals I have in mind (business/health/family/life/personal) are only going to be attained if I say NO to any projects/tasks/requests/obligations/constraints that will put my well-being at risk.
I know there are others of you in this MS, chronic illness, advocacy space who are grinding hard out there. I see you. Is the grind worth it? Do you wish you would have done things differently in 2022? Like me, are you always trying to prove to yourself you can still do XYZ? Would love to hear.
I will say YES to thriving in 2023! I will say NO to anything that threatens that aspiration. Capeesh?
Peace✌️❤️
Photo Credit: Amy Hedges Photography