I like Nice! I want to be nice. I want you to think I'm nice. I want to be around nice people.

     I bet you feel the same way. Not too many people of us want to be the thought of as the grouch of family, office or neighborhood and most of us think that a good way to achieve niceness; is saying "yes" often. A yes slips off our tongue before we have a chance to stop even our internal emotion stopping us by shouting NO! from agreeing to something we don't want to do. And yet there we go again saying yes while knowing
that it will become more crowded to our daily schedule.

So Why Is It That We Say Yes So Often?

     It goes back to childhood where your Mumma asked you to do something, we were taught to say yes. Later our friends asked to join them and you said "sure". 
     Fast forward 15 years, and we are saying yes to every request to attract the attention of others. We say yes because we don't want others to judge us by letting them down. Also, it becomes easy to say yes rather denying others. Elizabeth Gilbert author of the best selling book 'Eat, pray, love' mention in an interview on The Oprah Winfrey shows a strategy for having focus in her life. There is a great power that comes from being able to say no. However, nowadays this tendency of overcommitting comes with so many headaches. Such as crowded dates of calendar and not very enjoying life by fulfilling our commitments.
     If you are a 'Yes Person' someone who always says yes to others and then regret after commitments is likely you are stuck in a wrong habit.

Here are the ways to say 'NO' nicely without feeling guilty.

1. Be true to yourself and to your priorities.

     We feel guilty while saying No only when we are not conform with our priorities. For example, if you are committed and want to spend an evening with your family then you must need to say No when you are asked to join a committee that meets every evening. There is a fine line between following your priorities and using them as an excuse. 

2. How to nicely say No.

     Answering in a sudden way will tramble the ego of others and make it seem like your 'No' is more important and not so much about their request. If you know what your answer is going to be; give it when you asked. Don't tell them just to put off saying No.
     If you are considering saying Yes, you need to think on it first; tell them that and let them know when they expect your answer.
     Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Don't say things that sound mixed messages. Keep your answer short and sweet. saying No makes a lot of us nervous. And when we are nervous we keep talking and talking and talking and will make it more confusing.

5 Golden rules for saying No

i) Start with the compliment 
ii) Give your answer 
iii) Say Thank You
iv) Encourage person
v) Change the subject or Excuse yourself

"Remember There Is A Great Power That Comes From Being Able To Say 'NO' !! "