I enjoy watching toddlers as they run around playing, interacting with other children and engaging with their parents. I often reminisce about when my boys were toddlers and how cute they were. When they were at that age, like most parents, I couldn’t’ wait for the next milestone – when they could potty alone, brush their own teeth, feed and dress themselves. When they reached these milestones, we wished for new ones. Once they became adults, we experienced spurts of remorse for rushing such wonderful times in our lives.

For me, seeing children particularly around the age of 2 is a hoot. Affectionately known as the terrible 2s, it’s around the time when they say the word, “NO,” with power and conviction to almost everything you say. The defiance is real and they mean it. So much so, they may run in the opposite direction, swing at the spoon in your hand, clench their mouths closed to something you’re trying to feed them, or touch that hot stove anyway when you told them a million times not to do it. Next thing you know, they turn around hollering and crying  while looking for you to comfort them and saying the new word they just added to their vocabulary screaming loudly, and pointing among tears and snot, “HOT!” For many parents, we lovingly comfort and proudly chastise them all at the same time saying, “I told you NO!”

Somewhere along the line, even after all those lessons of being told “no” by our parents, we get to adulthood and still struggle with that word. We are stretched beyond our limits on our jobs to take on additional work. Our families rely on us for things they can often do themselves. We join every organization or find places to serve. We meet or talk to friends to help them through tough times. We give in a relationship until it breaks us. And on top of all this, we have to handle our own stuff. We say yes when we’re sick, tired, exhausted, frustrated, stretched, broken hearted and weary, when a simple two-letter word can change all of this. I know. I use it wisely.

I laugh at myself often when I reflect on all the times God told me “No,” and I behaved just like a toddler and did it anyway. I’m glad He lovingly comforts and gently chastises me knowing He gave me the right instructions to begin with.

I’ve been told, “No is a complete sentence that needs no explanation.” It’s a strategy that has stood the test of time. Yes, we were born to serve others and we also need to be well ourselves to do so. Setting healthy boundaries in your life by saying no allows you to spend the time you need on yourself to become the best version of you that you can be.

Visit my website at www.yourpointofpride.com to learn more about how I can help you.