Why Should I Say No?

My 3 boys

Over the years I have heard people say many times that women say yes to things way more than they should and that we should all start saying no a lot more often.  Some even go so far as to advise that we just say no to everything for a certain time period and that by doing so our lives will become more manageable and we will feel enormous weight lifted from our shoulders.  I have understood this advice to a certain degree but never really felt good about saying no.  I always feel disappointed when I ask someone for help and they decline.  However I read something recently that made this Yes/No dilemma perfectly clear to me.

In "Say Goodbye to Survival Mode" by Crystal Paine she says, "When I say yes to one thing, I must say no to something else."  Finally, I get it!  Recently I was asked to do something and I felt I should decline, so I did, but I felt guilty about it.  After reading this quote by Crystal the guilt is gone.  I had said no to helping out with a class at church because I knew it would take me away from being with my four month old baby.  So by saying no I was actually saying yes to spending time with my baby and  I never regret time spent with my children.  Now it's so much easier for me to understand that its a trade off.  Yes to one thing means no to something else and visa versa because I can only be in one place at a time and I can only accomplish one task at a time.  I just need to remember to think about what I am saying yes and no as I make my choices.