We can say “No” without feeling guilty. The secret is hiding in the ability to know what to say “Yes” to. So let’s look at what we want to say “Yes” to.
When we are clear on our purpose in life, we will know in what direction we want to take our lives. I know from experience that having a clear understanding of my purpose provides a powerful litmus test to gauge whether or not I should participate in any given activity.
My purpose in life is to inspire meaningful proactivity. That simple little statement points me to some things. Perhaps just as importantly, it points me away from a whole lot of other things. For example, any opportunity that alleviates a symptom is not for me. While feeding homeless people is important, I, personally am not suited for the job. I would need to be involved in preventing the problem instead.
John and I have made a lot of adjustments in our lives as we seek to say “yes” to the right things and “no” to the wrong things. Otherwise, if we are helping out with every good cause that comes our way, we won’t have enough time, energy and money to make our own unique impact on the world.
We cover in-depth how to discover your purpose and live your calling in our book, Splash! Increase Your Life’s Impact. The main idea is that your purpose is at the intersection of your strengths, your passions and what makes a meaningful difference in the lives of other people.
There is an enormous amount of energy and joy in living on purpose. When we are doing things that are lined up with our strengths and passions and are really making a difference in the lives of other people, we’re going to be stoked. We won’t have the dilemma of, “How do I say No without feeling guilty. The guilt naturally goes away with the peace of knowing we are saying “yes” to the things that are right for us.
