Thank you for sharing Melissa and you are most welcome. I can relate – we all have fear of rejection and don’t want to look bad in other people’s eyes. Because of that we end up saying “yes” more often than we really need to.

This is an interesting perspective Guler – appreciating and respecting people’s right to say “no” to what you offer without getting personal. Thank you for sharing it.

Thank you Natella. I have found that laziness can often be a factor in people’s search for an easy way out hence the importance of Cenk’s insights into helping us find courage to say “no”. If someone truly needs your help they will work with you in an effort to obtain it and in the end be thankful that you provided it.

I agree Cenk. Regardless of the context or factors involved, the most important step in this process is taking that stand. As you’ve showed us many positives can follow.

Thank you for chiming in Cenk, much appreciated!

You are most welcome, Mary and thank you for sharing with us! I agree with you that, no matter how hard it is to say or to hear “no”, it’s still much better to tell the truth, rather than commit to something you cannot deliver. Or worse yet, to say “yes” and to grow resentful later. We all know how that feels 🙂

Hi Jason,

To me, a few things in life are more disappointing than seeing one person takes advantage of another. I think you have found a good approach that works well with your caring and helpful nature. I believe I myself need to seriously consider adopting it when it comes to helping people. Saying “yes” on your terms could be a great way to measure how serious a person is about the project they need help with and whether they are willing to put the effort it takes on their end vs just getting your help as an easy way out. And you are right, you can definitely learn a great deal about the person to determine your response to their future requests. Thank you for sharing with us!