A few months ago my boss gave me another project. My first thought was the same as always—say yes, smile, and deal with it later. That’s what I do. Be the “reliable one.” Stay late, cover for others, keep things moving even when I’m tired.
But I was already full. My days were packed. Most nights I sat at my laptop, staring at the screen until my eyes hurt. The coffee on my desk was always cold. Dinner was usually old food from the fridge, eaten straight from the box. I couldn’t even remember the last time I read a book or went for a walk.
This time I stopped myself. Instead of saying yes, I took a breath and said, “I’m sorry, I can’t take this right now.” My voice shook. I’m not good at saying no. In my head, I was sure he would think I was lazy or not a team player.
But he didn’t. He just gave me a small smile and said, “I understand. Thanks for being honest.” That was it. No long talk. No silence. Nothing.
That night I made real food, not leftovers. I went to bed early and slept for eight hours. Real sleep. I woke up the next morning feeling good—so good I almost laughed.
What I learned is this: saying no doesn’t make you weak. It doesn’t make you selfish. It gives you space to breathe. And sometimes that is what you need more than another project.
We forget about ourselves too often. Rest matters. Energy matters. Boundaries are not about pushing people away. They are about not breaking yourself down. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is say no, even if your voice shakes.
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Would be really nice if this happened to you. Sadly, the text seems AI-generated.
I just use Grammarly for perfect grammar.
Then maybe its AI was editing your sentences more substantially? Checkers show the post text as AI-generated with 100% confidence.
I also want to see. Could you please share which tools you used?
And sorry, it may be caused by Grammarly modifying some sentences.
I will be more careful about my next article and try to avoid external tools for refining grammar.
Cool. :) If you search for AI detector, you will see the tools.
Yes, @devmamun. This article resonates with me. I find it difficult to say no at times, but it is also a way to protect myself! Saying no is not rejection; rather, it is reclamation!
!BBH
!LADT
!PIZZA
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@silversaver888(12/15) tipped @devmamun
Come get MOONed!