Honoring your sacred “no”
Sacred “No”
The maintenance of healthy boundaries and stepping back when necessary. Shifting the focus off the importance of presence, and instead centering intentional absence
This past week brought with it an energy of quickness in thought and choices. It required active slowing down in most areas, and if you didn’t make time to slow down, you probably felt carried by the currents rather than grounded in the waves. If you were able to flow with this energy, then good on you. I admit the former felt most true for me this week. So with the bit of overwhelm that crept in through the week, there was also a beautiful lesson to be learned — as is the case with hard things.
In those moments of peak stress, I kept coming back to these questions:
What do I need in this moment?
Where am I overextending?
How can I do and give less in order to refill my own cup?
My answers revealed a pattern, along with the source of my overwhelm. I wasn’t honoring my boundaries. Instead of prioritizing the maintenance of a harmonious inner environment, I kept outsourcing whatever energy I had to do, be and care for others. This left my cup empty, my energy drained and my mind filled with tension. All of this could’ve been avoided if I’d honored my sacred “No”. However these energetic lessons come to show us where we need to adjust then realign.
So I am taking this beautiful Sunday to honor myself by honoring my “No”. For me that looks like saying no to anything and anyone that does not nourish my being today. If it feels taxing to my nervous system or my mind, it has to be a no right now. If it does not add to the peace and balance of my inner environment, it has to be a no. What I love about the sacred “No” is that it is a gentle rebalancing of my position within my heart, and thus a more powerful place to be grounded in when someone does need me and I am ready to give. The right people will honor your sacred “no” with respect.
“And still, after all this time,
The sun never says to the earth,
“You owe me.”
Look what happens with
A love like that
It lights the Whole Sky.”
-Hafez