• I used to believe that being lovely meant never saying ‘no.’ My journey to self-care taught me the power of a gentle refusal.
    Self Improvement

    I used to believe that being lovely meant never saying ‘no.’ My journey to self-care taught me the power of a gentle refusal.

    I spent a good portion of my life believing that the secret to being loved and respected was to always be accommodating, never uttering that two-letter word: “no”. Growing up in a conservative small town in Texas, I was taught that niceness was synonymous with compliance. I carried this belief into adulthood, nurturing a reputation as a ‘yes’ woman, always eager to please, never one to ruffle feathers. But then, life happened. I moved to New York City for my dream job, a city as unapologetic and assertive as they come. Here, ‘no’ was not just a word, but an art form. Initially, I found myself drowning in this sea…

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