Today I will practice saying no.
There have been many times in my life when I wanted to say it but was afraid. Even now, I may still be afraid. But I will say it anyway if No is what I really mean.
When someone asks me a question or offers a suggestion, I will stop and think about what I want before I respond. I will practice saying no to myself first.
Do I really want to do the favor being asked of me? Is it okay with me that friends come to dinner? Is it good for me to attend a party or event?
When I learn to say no to myself in simple matters, it becomes easier to say no to others. There have been times I went along with others to avoid conflict, or because I didn’t know what I wanted.
Today I will listen to myself and express myself. I have the right to say no.
From the book:
That’s one thing all addicts have a hard time with - saying no. My life was a series of yeses. Yes, you should take that drink. Yes, you should take that extra bite. Yes, you should over indulge in everything you come across. I didn’t really feel like I had a choice to say no to the monster that was my disease. I would try at first to use my will power to say no, but that, of course, never worked in the end. All the will power in the world isn’t strong enough to fight addiction. No matter what happens, it will always win over me. The only thing strong enough to overcome the disease is my Higher Power, in my experience.
