As I was driving to a blog shoot the other day, I began thinking about how powerful it is to be able to say "no" to things. Without any explanation or having to defend yourself, to just be able to say "no" is something I think many people in this world lack. Whether it be because of fear, (fear of making someone mad or fear of judgement) or because of guilt (you would feel bad if you said no), we all too often forget that we don't have to do something every time someone calls. Saying no because you already have a lot on your plate is OKAY. But then my mind started thinking about the power in saying "YES!" For a long time, learning to say no was hard for me.

I hated saying no to my friends because I didn't want to be left out. This typically resulted in me overexerting myself and being completely worn down. Now, I listen to myself when my body and mind says no. The hard part for me is now learning to sometimes say yes, even when I don't feel like it.

For example, there have been things I have been invited to as a blogger here in Atlanta that I allowed fear to talk me out of. I resided to the fact that I didn't really feel like doing anything and I needed alone time and while these things were probably true, I still should have said yes.

Sometimes, we miss out on things because we are too afraid to step out of our comfort zones. We say "no" because we are afraid we won't have a good time, we won't have anyone to talk to, we will have wished we had stayed home. Just think, what if you said yes and you met the love of your life that night? What if you said yes to that date and their roommate ended up becoming your best friend or spouse? What if you went to an event and knew no one, but met the one connection that would change your life forever? What if?

I think sometimes there is a fine-line between no and yes and in those moments, sometimes we need to push ourselves past the comfort of "no" and give "yes" a chance. It isn't always easy and might not always be a life-changing moment, but remember, there is extreme power in saying no, but there is also a beautiful possibility in saying yes.

xx, Marah