At times, you have to say “no” to good things to be able to say “yes” to important things. You can’t do it all. Be mindful and choose wisely.
The above quote is from a post, “7 Powerful Reminders to Focus on What Matters”, from one of my favorite blogs by Marc and Angel, and it resonated.
This made me think about a few things.
1. Every time we say “yes” to something, we are saying “no” to something else. There is only so much we can do in a day, week, month, year, and time goes by quickly. I remember being asked to do a webinar one night, and although I appreciated the opportunity, I said no, and at that same time, I was reading a book to my daughter before she went to bed. I honestly remember thinking, there is nothing else I would rather be doing right now, while also terribly missing my dad. At 3, she might not remember that moment, but it was special to me at that time.
2. Burnout often happens not from doing too much, but doing too many things where I feel no purpose or excitement in doing. Yes, there are things in our lives that we have to do that we aren’t passionate about, but I am trying to distinguish between those things that are necessary and those that are “extra.”
3. Sometimes, the thing that I love doing the most at the moment has no purpose other than letting me catch my breath and tune out. I am getting better at just appreciating that time.
4. Saying “no” is tough in the field of education, but I know that if I am not healthy mentally, my health in other areas tends to diminish. When we say “no” to others, it is because in the moment we are saying “yes” to ourselves, in the pursuit of being selfless, not selfish. I am not helpful to others if I am not kind to myself.
Just a few thoughts as I try to reflect on my path and journey. Hopefully, in some way, this could be helpful to others.
