“Yes of course I’ll look after your kids for the weekend, help you move house, bake 150 cupcakes for the school fete, meet that unreasonable work deadline, and spend my Saturday on a cold sporting field manning the canteen!”
Because I want to? Not always. Because I have the time to? Not at all. Because I don’t want to let you down and I wish to seem entirely capable? Absolutely. And most of all because there’s a little word in the English language that women find so hard to say… “No”.
But the truth is when you practice saying “no” to things you shouldn’t do, you actually say “yes” to the most important things in your world. Here’s a little insight into the two little letters that free us and why women need to use them more.
Focusing is about saying no – Steve Jobs
According to Psychology Today, women have a tendency to say yes, even when they shouldn’t because they:
We need to learn the slow ‘yes’ and the quick ‘no.’ - Warren Buffett
There’s also a school of thought that saying “yes” touches on a nerve rarely discussed. And it comes down to how we wish to appear as women entirely in charge of our newly extended domain. Our forebears fought for the right to careers, voting and equality, and now we have something to prove.
“Yes” I can effortlessly juggle a career and domestic chores. “Yes” I can attend the PTA meeting, football practice and still run the Commonwealth Bank. “Yes” I can survive on three hours sleep, run marathons and whip up a mean Cordon Bleu. Walk into my house you’ll find it spotless, walk into my office and you’ll be impressed. But talk to me about what I did for myself, and you might find the answers lacking.
The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes - Tony Blair
The truth is the ultimate empowerment might be the act of saying “No”. It’s little coincidence these quotes come from powerful men accustomed to using the word to effect.
Quite simply, these two little letters allow us to:
So, maybe you can’t meet that deadline, and you won’t be found in the canteen. Tomorrow your house won’t be spotless. Why? Because you said “no”.
In doing so you said “yes” to endless hours of playing with your children, strolling the beach with no timeframe, reflecting on the wonder of life, and giving yourself room for thought.
The result? It may turn out you’re all the more empowered, capable and resilient than previously imagined through the use of a single word.
Cassandra Charlesworth is a features writer with 20 years’ journalism experience. She loves a good old-fashioned story and getting to the heart of a great yarn. She’s also a mum to three children who have encouraged her to hone some secret skills. Nimbly navigating Lego pieces left on her loungeroom floor and creating stylish Barbie attire from all manner of household objects are just a couple of credentials she’s recently added to her resume.
A lot of families use school holidays to take a ‘break' get away and go camping or fishing or visit a resort of some kind. But is it really a break?
I am sick, really sick with some hideous flu-type virus and have picked up gastro on top as a real treat. So, I have been lying here, deep in thought, trying to distract myself from my own temporary misery.
As I lay here, I am being nursed by my eight-year-old son, Tom. He has so far managed to keep the other two boys inside (we are on acreage) and bring me water and a wet cloth, as he said I felt hot.
We all know that in order to be healthy, happy, and to achieve their potential, children and young people need to eat a variety of nutritious foods every day. And contrary to popular (my children’s) belief, it is possible to provide them with a healthy school lunch that not only tastes great but is good for them. I know I am not alone when I say that preparing school lunches is one of my least favourite chores. However, I have vowed that this year, it will not be my undoing each weekday morning.
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