It is a little ironic that the words “Yes” and “No” are opposites, and yet are also inseparable.  While I might say No to a night out with friends, it means I’m saying Yes to a night with my husband, or with myself.  As an introvert, it’s pretty important for me to recharge my ability to interact with others, and regular alone time is essential to that.  I say Yes to me when I say No to others sometimes.  When I say Yes to reading a novel, I’m saying No to my other hobbies and chores.  If I say Yes to exercise, I’m saying No to some future health complications–of course, genetics always play a role, and I can’t avoid everything, but I can say No to some of them.

The point is, there are Nos for every Yes, and Yeses for every No.  Consider this:  what are you saying Yes and No to?  Do you say No to distractions so that you can say Yes to uninterrupted time with your significant other?  Do you say Yes to taking a nap sometimes so that you can say No to a later exhaustion meltdown?

Sometimes life gets hectic enough that it seems like the ability to choose is taken away.  Let’s be real, often the only chance we have to say Yes to a nap is to close our eyes for thirty seconds in the bathroom.  We also know that choice can be taken away altogether–I certainly didn’t say Yes to Type 1 Diabetes when I was 10.  However, just because one choice has been lost, or even many, it doesn’t mean that all choices have been.  When you get the opportunity to say Yes to the important things, don’t forget about the Nos that also need to be said to keep those important things safe.