Saying No

Why is it that I can say No to my kids a zillion times a day but not to other people? You read so many advice columns that tell you to say no to commitments and free your schedule of unecessary things. Saying No is easier said than done. Sometimes, I feel bad about disappointing someone. I put myself in their shoes and wonder "How would I feel if someone said 'no' to me?" Sometimes, I just don't want to say no. I like having things to do. Don't you notice the day goes faster when you're busy? Don't you feel so much better when you've accomplished something? I can't be the woman who watches Dr. Phil and Oprah and Ellen and Martha and Judge Judy. Yesterday, I learned that the 4H group that Caty was going to join would not start up. Crazy me starts thinking of ways I can start it. Caty's Brownie troop isn't as active as others in the area. Crazy me signs up to take a leadership class so I can be a leader and start a new troop. Last week, I get a message from an editor asking for an article on something that I know nothing about with an extremely tight deadline. Crazy me, who still has three articles due for another magazine, says "Sure, I'll do it." The girls need valentines for school, their friends, the kids at the library, etc. Crazy me thinks we should make them instead of buying them at the store. I could go on and on. Maybe it's not about saying No. Maybe I'm bored. Maybe I'm trying to fill some hole in my life with the wrong things. Maybe, I need to start saying NO to myself.