Did you ever get the lecture about how four-letter words were bad to say?
- Swear words topped that list.
- So did things like fart and butt.
Imagine my surprise when my cheeky 8-year-old self got totally chewed out for saying NO to my mom.
She asked me to do something, and I sweetly responded, “No, thank you.”
She was shocked even more when I assured her that I was allowed to say NO because it was NOT a four-letter word.
- (She had just lectured me and my brother on four-letter words earlier that day.)
- My manners were solid – BUT I totally blew up the Good Girl Rules with that response.
Needless to say, some recalibration training quickly reestablished me as a Good Girl in our house.
I was to be a selfless servant responsible for everyone else’s feelings – and do whatever my mom asked me to do.
Years later, heck, let’s be real…decades later, as I started to break free from the outdated Good Girl Rules, I realized 8-year-old me was right…
- NO is NOT a four-letter word.
- I can say it whenever I want.
- AND lightning will not strike me down when I say it.
The same is true for you – you CAN say NO.
(BTW, sometimes those four-letter words feel good to use too!
)
(BTW, sometimes those four-letter words feel good to use too!
)