By Lindsey Sharp
“You really need to learn to say ‘no.’”
Sound familiar? I know that I’ve only heard it a few thousand times in my life – every time I take on a new commitment, join a new organization or offer to help someone for no “tangible” personal gain.
As easy as it would seem to just turn those offers down, I can’t. I can’t willingly pass up an opportunity to further my career goals or to help out a friend in need. And if you can’t find it within yourself to say “no,”,that’s OK.
Saying “yes” puts you ahead of the pack. You gain experiences and relationships those “no-sayers” only dream of having. I can honestly say that I can attribute most of my success in my life to my willingness to say “yes”. So I’m here to tell you, the yes-saying, people-loving, overachieving college student, that you’re not doing anything wrong.
Just be sure to say “yes” to the fun things, too. Say “yes” to watching a show on Netflix and cooling down before bed instead of ferociously responding to emails at 1 a.m. Say “yes” to that coffee date your best friend just asked you on, even though you could easily squeeze in a meeting with your mentor for them to critique your resume. Be sure you’re saying “yes” to yourself as often you’re saying “yes” to everyone else.
“Yes lets you stand out in a crowd, be the optimist, see the glass full, be the one everyone comes to.”
“Find a way to say yes to things. Say yes to invitations to a new country, say yes to meet new friends, say yes to learn something new. Yes is how you get your first job, and your next job, and your spouse and even your kids. Even if it’s a bit edgy, a bit out of your comfort zone, saying yes means that you will do something new, meet someone new and make a difference. Yes lets you stand out in a crowd, be the optimist, see the glass full, be the one everyone comes to. Yes is what keeps us all young.” – Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Alphabet, Inc..
It’s OK to say “yes”, as long as you know to say “yes” to yourself, too.
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