Have you ever had a dream that felt so real it changed the way you acted the next day? I’ve had dreams about people where they did something awful to me, and I woke up feeling bitter toward them. Even though I knew the dream wasn’t real, it took a while to shake.

Our thoughts are much like that. They create a reality that impacts our days – and they can be really hard to shake. It’s hard to say no to something that feels so real. And yet, learning to take control of our thoughts – to filter through the good and the bad – profoundly influences our hearts and actions.

For the past couple weeks, we’ve been talking about 4 Great Reasons to Say No, and 4 Really Bad Ones. To recap, here they are.

4 Great Reasons to Say No

1. You Know What You Do and Don’t Want
2. You Have Healthy Margins
3. You Know Your Limitations
4. You Respect the Person on the Other End

4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Say No

1. You’re Afraid
2. You’re Withholding from Others
3. You’ve Lost Your Drive
4. You’re Waiting for Perfection

This week I’m touching on another important “no” – the times you need to say no to yourself. More specifically, no to the things you’re telling yourself. Continue reading →