An Excuse is Often a "No"

We've all done it - made some excuse rather than saying NO.

We might give an excuse because we don't want to hurt people's feelings by being honest.

Isn't that an odd way of conducting our life? We know we're not interested; however, we feel that we must protect others from telling them how we feel.

Is it that we have such a strong desire to be liked that we don't want to "rock the boat"? How do we overcome this aversion to saying NO?

First, we have to figure out why we are so uncomfortable, which can take some coaching and self-study.

The next thing is to learn to say NO to the little things that may not have a significant impact.

One of the most interesting things about not wanting to say NO is that we are the one who ends up getting hurt in the end.

How often have you walked away from a meeting with a "call me next week" line, yet the person has wholly disappeared when you call?

They won't answer your emails or return your voicemails.

And think about your personal life. Have you ever tried planning a dinner party where it's important for you to know if someone will be attending or not and you get a "maybe" or "I'll let you know."

You didn't know that they had no intention of coming for dinner but didn't have the guts to tell you NO.

Wouldn't it be nice if people were more comfortable with the word NO?

Letting people know they can tell you NO helps immensely because it puts both of you at ease.