Being taken for granted starts when we’re unable to say No to friends or family when they ask us to do things. That what starts out as a favour to them, becomes a little more when we feel we can’t say No?
As a little girl, because I wanted to be accepted, this used to apply to me all the time. We all do it for different reasons, but I think that if we don’t want to do something, we should be able to say no without any recourse to ourselves. We’re not being rude when we say no, we're just being truthful. Nothing should be expected.
The problem with being nice all the time means it becomes too easy for other people to take advantage. Those people will already see us as 'being nice' and that’s the reason why they begin to take liberties. It's because we don’t say anything.
We should all use our discretion, decide whether we should say okay to what others ask, or decide whether we need to firm up and say No. The problem is that once we give others the opportunity to take advantage, they will always behave this way. What starts off as a kind gesture on our part, becomes a bad habit through the other end.
It’s time to face up to the people who take advantage. For some that may be an impossible task, because as easy as it is just to say No, it also depends on whom we’re talking too. Knowing our customers is easy, but knowing how to deal with their reaction to us saying No is a little more difficult; not impossible but has to be done.
My own belief is that if we learn to say No, the people who constantly take advantage, will look to others to ask favours of. We need to think about our own needs for a change; learn to stay in control and not be afraid to tell them 'No.'
