Believe it or not, I struggle with telling people “No.”  When important people (or even complete strangers at times) in my life ask something of me, I rarely tell them I can’t do it.  Let’s clear some things up before we proceed—the things I’m asked are hardly ever peer pressure situations that would result in a bad outcome—I’ve been able to surround myself with people who don’t do that (and here’s how I did that).

The things I’m asked range from amazing opportunities to get involved with organizations to requests to grab some java and talk about life.  I’ve got my hand in just about every cookie jar I come across, mostly because I like trying new things, partly because I just love cookies.

At any rate, the following are times when I almost automatically say, “Yes!” to requests, and my reasoning behind it.  I say, “Yes!” to people when:

  • It’s something I love—I think this is the number one reason why people over commit.  It’s the reason I’m eye-ball deep in things to do on a regular basis; however, there’s not a single thing I do that I don’t love, and people keep giving me opportunities to do awesome things.  My major, my classes, my jobs, my organizations—I’m involved with all of them because I have a passion for them (and because I was presented with an opportunity).  The problem is, my list of passions is growing.  If you don’t know what you love, check out this post and figure it out.
  • It’s a worthy cause—I just can’t say no when I’m presented with an opportunity to get involved with a group working towards an incredible goal.  The reason I’m a part of the organizations I’m involved with on campus is a direct reflection of this—they are all working towards changing things and people for the better (in my humble opinion).  When I see the potential in a group, when I have a vision of where it will be down the road, changing lives in some way or another, I get excited.   When I can see the vision of a group being played out in my mind, I get involved (and I never regret it).
  • Other great people are involved—If I know I have an opportunity to meet with other passionate people and attempt to achieve lofty goals with them, I all but automatically jump on board.  When you get a chance to work with stellar people that you can learn from, it’s tough to pass up (and it’s a bad choice if you do).
  • It’s a rare opportunity—I had an unusually busy week a mere seven days ago, and I was looking forward to a break on Saturday; however, I was presented with an opportunity to attend a Leadership Symposium and luncheon with two great speakers and, of course, free food.  I could have said no, but this was a one-time thing—and I would have missed out big time if I said passed that up.
  • I can grow from it—Taking advantage of an opportunity that I know is going to challenge me, stretch me and grow me is a no brainer.  I’m on cruise control with my “Yes, please!” responses when I see a chance to be stretched, molded, and challenged to become better.
  • I have the time—Sometimes I get an opportunity to do something that is a bit out of the norm for me, but I (in rare circumstances) have the time to do it.  Why not check it out?  Who knows what I’ll discover when I’m doing something other than trying to work through the entire Netflix collection or taking a 4-hour long nap (that’s just never long enough) in my free time.
  • Someone needs my help—I think this is far and away my biggest soft spot (and something I’m quite proud of).  If someone is struggling or needs to talk or just wants a friend around, I’ll never say no.  I’ll shift my schedule, move appointments, put life on hold to help someone who needs it, because people helping people is what it’s all about.

This list is not exhaustive; it’s really only the tip of the iceberg.  I understand that if you always said yes in each of these situations you’d barely have time to for sleep—but I promise, less shuteye is not so bad.