Sometimes we walk or drive to a red traffic light, but right before we arrive there it jumps to green. Initially it seemed negative that we had to wait once again, but in the end you had a pleasant experience. It all matters how you look at things.
As with traffic light in life there are many things that initially look bad, but can have a positive change depending on how you look at it. Going out with friends is fun, but once in a while staying home can be just as much fun. Instead of staying up all night you will have a great night’s sleep and will be full of energy the next morning. You can either proceed to something you had planned or even have extra time to do something you didn’t even account for. Saying no is only as important as you make it. Your friends will not hate you for that one time you can’t go out, if they do they aren’t your friends.
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill
Saying no is often referred as being a heavy decision that weighs on you as on the person you are saying no to. However it depends on the situation, if you are going out with your friends every weekend, one weekend staying at home wont hurt your friendship. Or you can even change the plans and hold a relaxing night at your place instead of going out to drink untill the early hours. A hangout at your friend’s place can be just as much fun, if not even more for everyone involved. As long as no one expects a huge preparation from the person inviting the others.
The moment you see no as an opportunity to do something else you start to look at it differently. If there is something that doesn’t benefit you allow yourself to say no despite the circumstances. While no you are saying yes to something else. For example if you are going out with some toxic because of your earlier friendship you wont be able to go for a walk with your family. Saying yes because you don’t dare to say no is detrimental to your self and for your enjoyment. Ofcourse there are some unpleasant things that have to be done, but make sure to always weigh the pros and cons before you say yes or no. Put your priorities in place and you will instantly know whether to say yes or no.