Saying NO (to others) and saying YES (to yourself)

This past week I saw our October theme in action - 

On Friday a dear friend texted me about an incredibly productive day she had - she made meals for families in need, participated in 5 different zoom meetings, got her flu shot, and made weekend plans for her daughter. 

All I could think was "how?!"

So I asked her, and she said, "You know, I finally said 'no.'" She had a big project that she was being pressured to jump in on and after weeks of trying to fit it in she finally said "I can't do it." The next day, after dropping her daughter off at school, she used the time and space she had created (in between zoom meetings) to connect to her community, check a few things off her to-do-list, and set up a weekend break for herself. 

By saying NO to someone else, she was able to say YES to herself. This comes up so often in motherhood - we will often put our own health and wellbeing last to avoid disappointing someone else. Which is not only a physical and time burden on our lives but also an emotional one. 

And when my friend said no, it was like a whole new world opened up - she not only reclaimed some much-needed time, she also remembered to put herself first. Instead of spending her emotional energy on trying to fit one more thing in, she was able to re-focus and feel better about herself and her own choices. 
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I always come back to one of my favorite sections of Untamed, where Glennon Doyle is talking to her daughter Tish: ​

It can be such a struggle to disappoint others, but at the same time if we're able to prioritize ourselves and what we need we'll be all the better for it. 
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We'd love to hear what you're saying "no" to!