That little word

Lately i have been feeling drained, worn out and washed out, it's not a great feeling. Sometimes i can't say NO, it's not in my nature to say it, and it gets me into all sets of trouble. Is it my desire to be liked and loved, is it my desire to be helpful, i'm not sure but it's the way i have been for years and years, there is a NO, NO policy and it's not helpful. So how do i/we cope with this? we all live and work in pressure environments, and we have to balance our lives up, balance is the key.

When my life is out of balance i get cranky, i'm not nice, and i can be a pain in the butt, to those around me, it's not good. Years ago i used to make excuses as to why i could not say no, and the truth is they where excuses, my desires to be liked and loved overode everything. Now i have started to say no, some people get offended by it, some people think i don't care and call me names because of it. The fact is i have had to learn, it's not always my responsibility to answer the call for help. Yes i maybe a Christian and part of my responsibilities as a Christian are to help when i can. It's not my sole responsibility, to make sure everybody is happy, it never was and never has been. Regularly i hear of people suffering burn out, getting close to a breakdown, thrust me the breakdown is a pain in the ass. Been there done it, spent my time hiding under the bed clothes, not knowing what day it was, drugged up on prescription meds just to get through the day. It's not a good place to be and i would say it's a nightmare to be in. If you feel that it's all getting on top of you, don't make an excuse, do something about it, take a break, take a walk, do something apart from nothing. You and i have the right to say NO, it does not make us criminals, it does not demean us in anyway what so ever. It makes us human, God rested on the seventh day, Jesus pulled himself away from the crowds to rest and recharge. We can and should rest up, no excuses, no arguments, it's needed. Don't feel guilty when you say NO it's needed.