…Bill Cosby said, “I don’t have the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone.”
It is so hard to be successful at everything if you please everyone and forget to take care of yourself. If you just can’t say “no” because you truly don’t want to disappoint the person, you will end up failing them and yourself. We all have limits and saying “no” can be the best thing for the person as well as for us.
I know those of you who are caregivers for spouses or aging parents struggle with this concept. You love that person with all your heart and don’t want to cause them unhappiness. However, when you answer with, “I heard your need, but at this time, I need to do this errand or activity to take care of me.” You might be surprised to get a response like, “It is about time”! Remember taking care of yourself can be a gift the dependent person gives you.
When flying on an airplane, remember that the flight attendants tell us to put the oxygen mask on ourselves before we put it on a dependent child or adult traveling with us. We all need the oxygen first. To refill ourselves, to charge our batteries and give calendar space to taking care of our own needs for health, and well being.