SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO SAY 'NO'
I’ve heard several people say “I don’t know how to say ‘no’ to people’s request (s)” or “I just find myself saying ‘yes’ all the time”. When I ask why, they tell me “I don’t want the person to feel bad or hurt” or “I don’t want to be seen as a bad person”. Teenagers and youths basically fall into this category of people. The teenage and youthful stage of life is characterized with lots of decision making processes. The answers to several request or offers remain ‘yes’ or ‘no’, sometimes ‘wait/not now’. A teenager’s/youth’s inability to say ‘no’ reflects his/her poor refusal skills. Refusal skill is a very important life skill that every individual must have . Lack of refusal skill would mean giving in to compromise of one’s standards at every time. It renders you without respect from others. People can easily take you for a ride, take you for granted or see you as a ‘walkover’. It affects your reputation, integrity and self-image. You can’t keep on saying ‘yes’...