There’s Freedom in the Word “No”
Are you living life for yourself or for others?
The older I get, the more I find myself putting my foot down, and saying NO to what doesn’t align with the life I want, who I’ve become, and where I’m headed. This means I am saying YES to more of what lights me up inside. Saying yes to things that fall in line with my beliefs and values.
Society tries to put us all in a box. To force us to conform in many ways. To tell us that “this” is what you should be doing:
Working 40, 50, and 60 hour weeks.
Having little time for friends, family, and our individual passions.
Keeping up with the Jones’ - Bigger house, better car, nicer clothes, etc.
Pushing through the unhappiness we feel because this is just what life is.
Prioritizing work over everything else.
Yuck.🤢
Yes, we need to work to pay our bills and survive, but life is so much more than work. AND the work you do should be what you actually ENJOY. It should LIGHT YOU UP INSIDE. You should wake up looking forward to the day ahead.
It is simply false that you need to work 40+ hours a week to make a good living. The truth is that you can work LESS and make MORE. It is very much possible for you. The old mentalities of work life and what it should like are not realistic anymore. People no longer work for one company for all their life and then collect a pension once they retire. Gone are the old ideas of “work”. Nowadays, work should fit into the life you’re building not consume it.
As a side note, when I talk about saying no to things that don’t click with the life you’re building and that you should be living for yourself, I do not mean to be selfish and stop caring for others. My clients tend to struggle with perfectionism, people, pleasing, and overachieving so they are the last people to be selfish. In fact they struggle with taking care of themselves and feel selfish at the idea of doing for themselves.
So, as I wrap up, think about whether or not something needs to shift in your life. Is your job no longer fulfilling? Do they keep expecting more and more from you while you continue to make the same salary? Are you struggling to balance work and all the other areas of your life? If you answered yes to any of these, please hit the contact me button at the top and set up a time to chat. I’d love to help you create the changes you’ve been desiring.