I just can't say NO!

"I just can’t say NO!"

Ever heard yourself say that?

Maybe it's the custard cream donut you find yourself eating mid-afternoon, or the early morning Instagram scroll that dictates your thoughts for the day. Or it could be something more serious, like the choices you make to fit in with the crowd or the substances you consume to drown out anxiety.

We often talk about having more self-control, setting goals, and fasting from things we feel sucked in by. However, the solution doesn't always lie in 'trying harder' or 'digging deeper.' It often lies in identifying the things in life we want to say YES to.

Saying 'YES' enables my 'NO' to become stronger.

I've never relished the thought of exercise. I've had countless conversations with myself, saying "I should" and "I must" in this area, but I never succeeded in making it a regular habit. This year, however, I realized that a core value of mine is to be the most fun and free version of myself. I don't want to age before my time, and I definitely don’t want to be limited by my own body. I found my YES!

Saying 'YES' to fun and freedom meant saying 'NO' to avoiding exercise, 'NO' to procrastination, and often 'NO' to my feelings of "I don’t want to!"

What do you need to say ‘YES’ to this week that will empower you to say ‘NO’ to the things you don’t want to do?

'YES' to my family means saying 'NO' to my phone.

'YES' to rest means saying 'NO' to going out every evening, even if I have FOMO (fear of missing out).

'YES' to peace means saying 'NO' to unnecessary stress and anxiety-inducing activities.

'YES' to healthy eating means saying 'NO' to junk food.

'YES' to quality time with friends means saying 'NO' to isolating myself.

'YES' to connection means saying 'NO' to overthinking whether my friends really like me or not.

'YES' to personal growth means saying 'NO' to wasting time on unproductive activities.

'YES' to faith and trust in God means saying 'NO' to feeding myself with doubt and fear.

'YES' to the Holy Spirit means saying 'NO' to anything impure in thought, word, or deed.

What will you say 'YES' to this week that will help you say 'NO' to the distractions and temptations that hold you back?

Let your God inspired ‘YES’  lead you to a more free and fulfilling purpose-driven life this week!