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Hi. I’m Franticmommy. I’m a Serial “Yes Girl and a Recovering People Pleaser….”
I don’t think you need to be a parent to feel the crunch of lack-o-time these days. Normal every day life paired with the constant requests from outside sources equal not enough hours in the day. Then comes the extra side orders of “obligations” in the form of past business associates looking to squeeze your brain like a juicer or that persistent lady from the PTO. These addition requests steal even more of your “me-time” (or worse, your family time) hours in an already stretched then day.
I truly need to work on my “no muscle” and remember no one will faint or die if I say “no” to the request for volunteer help or last minute kid-sitting.
The problem is…I’m a Puss.
Pushover. Softy. Wimp.
I like people. I like helping people. I help people because it’s the right thing to do.
But even with “all of the above” there comes a time when we need to say to people, “whoa in the mudhole!!!” (or, in normal-people-terms…I am full-up on obligations. Ask me in a month.)
That’s why. I need a Bouncer.
A dude named Al who looks like this:
Or maybe a more Yumolicious version like this:
My Als would step in and be tough when I couldn’t. They would fold their beefy arms, glare, and say “NO!!!” when I find myself too weak and chicken-crap to do so myself. Example:
Naggy Person: We need a volunteer for a committee that will only moderately suck your time and braincells. Can you help? Plus it’s only a 100 hour commitment….
ME: Sure.
AL: NO! She’s busy, Move along now.
Parasitic acquaintance: I need you to watch little Snowflake so I can go to my Tribal Underwater Drumming Meeting. FYI, she is officially clear of head lice now.
ME: Um..er…sure. Lice shampoos do great things these days..
AL: NO! Cooties BAD. Move along now.
My Al(s) will keep me in line and never allow me to double-book, over-book, or work on weekends.
And then my Al(s) would rub my feet, unload the dishwasher and fetch me a Latte whenever the urge comes over me….
..sorry. drifted off there for a second.
But the downside is that, from what I hear, Al(s) are expensive, expect time off on occasion and eat a lot too. I guess I will have to fight my own battles and actually work on work on pursing my lips and saying the word, “NO.” I did hear a ninja tip from a long-time friend though. Her solution to tactfully saying no, without offending someone or slamming the opportunity door shut in the future is to simply say, “not at this time.” Love.IT.
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