Saying "No" So You Can Say "Yes"

Most of us know that we need to make time in our lives to show small – and big – kindnesses to people we know, and even to people that we don’t.

But the biggest enemy against kindness, it seems, is time.

Sociological research has supported this idea. In one study, for example, random bystanders were presented with an opportunity to help someone in a manufactured crisis. Consistently, the most helpful people were those who had the asset of time.

The least helpful people were the ones who felt pressured because they were running low on time.

We live in a busy world. Even today’s toddlers seem to have schedules that resemble those normally reserved for upper-level corporate executives. There always seems to be one more “good” thing that we can do – for our professional growth, for our communities, or for our children’s athletic, academic or personal development.

But there comes a time when we need to say “no.” Because being so busy that we don’t have the time to show kindness to strangers – or to the people closest to us – isn’t good for us. And it definitely isn’t good for the greater society in which we live.

So today, we encourage you to think about opportunities you have to say “no” to busyness, so that you can say “yes” to taking the time and energy to be kind.

What will you remove from your schedule so you have time to be kind and compassionate? How do you avoid becoming too busy to care about others? How do you say no – what words do you use, and what reasons, if any, do you give when you decline an opportunity?

We want to hear from you!