“No is not rejection, it is protection.”

There comes a moment
when you feel it in your body.

The tightening.
The hesitation.
The knowing.

And still… you consider saying yes even when your body screams “NO”.

Because you love them.
Because you don’t want to disappoint them.
Because you fear the distance that might follow.

But every yes that betrays your inner truth
leaves a fracture inside you, now a bigger disapointment.

No doesn’t mean you don’t care.
It means you’re listening.

Listening to your limits.
Listening to your health.
Listening to the quiet wisdom that says,
“This is not good for me.”

Some people will understand.
Some will most definetly not, at least in that moment.

Let them feel what they feel, its their process.

Your responsibility is not to manage their comfort or process.
It is to honor your own integrity and that looks different the older you get.

No can be soft.
No can be kind.
No can be steady.

And when it comes from truth,
it carries peace, even if it creates distance.

-Kerri-Elizabeth-

Tomorrow: Why allowing others to be uncomfortable may be the most loving thing you ever do.