equal opportunity employment journal wants to be labeled as the “mean girl”. We want people to see us as nice, kind, helpful, and friendly. We worry that when we say “no”, other people will not like us… at least I have. I’ve worried that if I don’t do what my co-workers ask of me they will gossip, spread rumors, or look down on me. o one wants to be judged by another human being…but guess what? Those judgments are just the self-critics inside of us. We have the capacity to stand up for ourselves and to do what we know is right (and healthy) for us. Clarity. Maybe part of our saying “yes” all of the time is because we forget to pause and really feel if “yes” is the proper answer. I know I rush into things sometimes without really thinking them through only to find myself halfway through a project and wanting to back out! If we are unclear with ourselves, we may just head for a “yes” answer as a quick decision. Instead of really thinking it through and creating clarity around a situation we jump right in saying “yes” when we are actually unsure... or mean “no.” Missed Opportunity: For me, lately this is huge. As a new business owner, I feel compelled to say “yes” to every little thing that comes my way. What if I say “no” and wind up missing out on a huge opportunity? What if I pass up the next “best thing”? How will I feel if I realize I made the wrong choice? Well guess what? There will always be another opportunity. There will always be someone else asking you to do something. We cannot do it all. In fact, we will burn ourselves out by trying to and compromise our nursing self-care. Page 27 M`ccX^\ ?fjg`kXc K?8K :FLC; I<;<=@E< PFLI :8I<