how to say no.

last week, before i went out and about on a few of my many adventures, i sent a few emails out to round up some guest bloggers.

lisa and i have had a few conversation about the art of "doing" instead of waiting to be asked for help.  or better yet - "doing" even after help is declined.  you know how that goes?  when people say something like, "what can i do for you?  do you need anything?" and then people like me always respond with "no.  i'm fine."

lisa gets that kind of stuff. she's a doer.  i'm a doer, too.... just not so good at receiving.

so:  guest blogging request email exchange.

this is how it went.

see how simple it is to say no?

and see how UN-affecting it is to receive a no?

life goes on, people.

i had no idea it would be this easy.

hi lisa!

heyyyyy, want to do me a favor? want to write a post on my blog while i'm in 3047 different cities this week for work? isn't it silly that i feel this crazy sense of loyalty to an online world that doesn't really exist?

you can write about anything you want, but i was thinking a lesson in the law of "do" like we'd talked about a while ago - you don't wait or ask.... you just do.

i'd be so grateful!

lemme know if youre around these next couple of days and i'll send over my username and password.

thanks,

aub.

 

hi aubry.

how about i write a post on how to say "no?" cause i think that's what i have to say this time. i looooove that you asked me and hope you will ask me again, but these next few weeks are a little stressful for me. my tavaci concert is coming up and I have a few big deadlines to make for relay for life and so it's less about having time, i can always make time, but it's more about my poor brain/heart/anxiety can't handle one more thing to stress about/keep me awake at night! i know it shouldn't be stressful and should be fun, but right now, it would stress me out, so i have to decline.

plus, i really want to spend all my "free time" playing on pinterest!!! way to go, you created a monster!jJust what i needed....one more way to waste (I mean spend) my time! but really in all honesty it is a little bit like cheap therapy. when i feel stressed out or overwhelmed i peruse pinterest for a few minutes and all the pretty helps bring my blood pressure down!!!!! i love it!

thanks again. don't give up on me!

 

lm.

 

p.s.

just had to say, saying "no" is a little bit liberating. i do feel bad saying it to you, cause you rarely say no, but man, you should try it some time. we can be each other's "no sponsor."  it actually feels good! who knew?!??!?!

 

lm.

 

lisa -

oh, don't even worry about it! i completely understand! and proud of you for saying no. i may need you - in some future fantasy land of less stress - to blog about DOING and SAYING NO. two things you've mastered way better than i have!

good luck with all your thangs!

 

aubry.

 

aub:

why don't we just copy and paste this e-mail exchange to your blog? then we'd teach people about being efficient too!!!!!

have a good week. you will survive. you always do!!!!!

 

lm

and just like that, we carried on doing our seperate things and no one died, nothing crumbled and we worked it out.

lesson learned.