The donut your co-worker offers you every morning. Going out for late drinks after a week of crappy sleep. That dessert your friends bought for the table.
Ready for a wild revelation that can set you free from the angst you get at your workplace, holiday parties or when visiting family?
You. Don’t. Have. To. Explain. Yoself.
You don’t have to explain why you don’t want to eat something, why you can’t make it to that 10th social outing, why you’re going to bed at a decent hour. We think we need some compelling explanation prepared because these days everyone seems to care about what other people put in their pieholes (it’s weird when you think about it that way, huh?).
But the thing is, if you don’t make a big deal out of it…chances are no one else will. They’ll move on to the next person. The majority of the time, “no, thank you” is sufficient (totally possible to maintain etiquette). If they keep asking, maybe it’s an opportunity to chat about how you’re making some lifestyle upgrades.
Oftentimes, people who aren’t satisfied with “no” tend to be struggling with their own food demons and see others’ actions as an indictment on themselves. Like “oh you don’t want this kolache, are you saying I shouldn’t have it?” Damn, Debra, no one cares. Enjoy your dry kolache and leave me out of this (I’m flashing back to the time I Zone Paleo’d while working an 8-5’er. Talk about daily crucifixion. I’d huddle behind my desk savoring my 2 macadamia nuts, praying for the clock to go faster…but, I digress).
Point is when you intentionally say “No” to something that doesn’t serve you, you get to say “Yes” to something that does. It’s a powerful shift and gets easier the more you do it.
1. Decide what you want.
2. Determine what daily actions are required to get you there.
3. Follow through like you’re Samwise Gamgee getting that lil b*tch.
4. Frodo up the mountain to save civilization.
Let's return to health, together.