Crazy Schedules and Saying no
I think it is safe to say we all say yes to too many things! We run from one thing to the next, stay connected on all our devices, minds are in a million different directions, our time is filled, and our lives are busy! As a mom, no matter how many kids, or what ages, or what activities involved in, moms are wearing lots of hats. Whether its dinner or laundry or work or personal time, it is all taking up space in the day and in the mind.
Saying yes to too many things is not only saying no to freedom, space, and a little rest, it could also be saying no to what you really need. Saying no can leave room for the big yes, more time to think through decisions, and more bandwidth for creativity. I fall into this trip all the time. I want to say yes to everything. I love keeping all my options open. But I have realized that doesn’t always lend to depth or freedom. It also doesn’t always leave room for the best thing. Saying no to something on the schedule can lead to more family time. Saying no to staying up later can leave room for more energy the next day. Saying no to another commitment may help you dive in deeper into the things you are already involved in.
I know I know, as a mom, I want to do it all. But that frame of mind and way of living probably isn’t what is best for my family. Yes I can maybe get more done, but if I am stressed out in the process it is going to affect my family, my marriage, my ability to be present. What if saying no was the courageous thing to do, not saying yes and trying to do it all?
In the book I am currently reading 100 days to brave, by Annie Downs she has a chapter on “Say no”. She brings up the story of Daniel and Babylon when he chose not to bow to idols and suffer the consequences, they said no because he wanted to stand for what he believed in. She says “They were brave. They said no. And even when the voices of fear must have been whispering to them, they still didn’t listen. They stood there in their no and believed that God is still God.” (p. 125) One of my favorite quotes next says “A lot of courageous noes make for some beautifully brave yeses.” (p. 125) How does that quote make you feel? Like you can say no? Like it may open the door for something else, or just for more peace. “Be brave and say no. But also be brave and say no… Say the thing that courage asks you to say, even if it’s the word no.” (p. 126) In the pictures above, I have been choosing to say no to filling my schedule to saying yes to intentional time with my kids, even if that is building castle’s with my sons yogurt. The smile it brings to his face is worth it, and the time with my kids is priceless.
What’s one thing you can say no to today that will make room for a better yes?
