How to Say No to Requests

Cheryl Coontz: I'm naturally a helper, and that's actually one of my most positive traits. But what I've come to realize is that if I don't learn how to disappoint people by saying no to them, I myself will be devoured. So much of what I think of as good and positive and powerful in my life came about because I said, yes, yes,Yes. She says she had to let go of this idea of herself, of being somebody who's like, Oh, everyone's going to love because you please them. And when we say, yes, we can pretend that power dynamic doesn't exist. It was a source of tension for