Hello, landlord! I really hope my answer can help you in some way.
I totally get it. I used to be just like you. I was afraid to say no to others and also afraid of being rejected. This was mainly because we didn't have the strength within ourselves. So our boundaries were a bit blurred. But when I built up my inner strength, I also understood the concept of separating issues. I could tell what was my issue and what was someone else's issue. Then I could be more authentic, comfortable, and relaxed in relationships. And when we dare to say no to others, you will also find that we are not so afraid of being rejected by others, because we can face our imperfect selves with an open mind. Although we may be rejected, it doesn't mean that we are not good enough. It just means that we are not a good match for others at that time and place. The reason why most people reject us is because they are standing in their own shoes and making their own choices. This only represents their choice, not a definition of us. Therefore, only when we have a very stable self-evaluation system within ourselves, will we dare to express ourselves and be able to accept others' rejection with an open mind. At the same time, we can naturally present our true needs and feelings in relationships, while also taking care of the needs and feelings of the other person.
So, my dear friend, I have a little advice for you:
Take a moment to think about why you might be hesitant to express your refusal, or why you might feel afraid of being rejected by someone you're interested in. It's often because we lack self-confidence and inner strength. But here's the good news: you can enhance your inner strength! When you do, you'll naturally feel more confident in refusing and accepting refusals from others.
It's totally normal to be afraid to express our refusal. We're worried that others won't like us after we express our refusal. We're also afraid of being rejected by the opposite sex. We feel that being rejected by the opposite sex means that he doesn't like us. This makes us feel like we're not good enough. But is that really true?
It's important to remember that when we express our refusal, others may not necessarily dislike us. In fact, they might even respect us more for standing up for ourselves! On the other hand, if we suppress our true needs and reluctantly agree to others' demands, but in the process of helping others, we are unwilling, this will instead make our relationship worse. This is because there is too much of our own grievances and suppression. If we are not being true to ourselves in a relationship, then the other person will not see the real us either. They will still come to us next time because they feel we are willing, so we will fall into a bad cycle. If you agree again, you will suppress your grievances and your own needs again, and you will have more complaints about the other person.
It's important to remember that when we're rejected by someone we like, it doesn't mean we're not good enough. It just means that from their point of view, they feel we're not suitable for them. But there will always be someone who thinks we're suitable. Think about it this way: it's like us evaluating a student. Some people will evaluate from the perspective of academic performance and think we're not very good at that, while others will evaluate from the perspective of comprehensive development and perfect personality and think we have strong comprehensive abilities and are very outstanding. There are so many perspectives and standards for external evaluation of us! If we don't have a stable internal self-evaluation system and don't have enough inner strength, it can be easy to become uneasy and volatile due to these external evaluations and voices.
So, it's really important to understand ourselves. As Dong Yuhui said, "When everyone is scolding you, you have to tell yourself that you are not that bad; when everyone is praising you, you have to tell yourself that you are not that good." If we can understand ourselves, know what kind of person we are, know what we want, and know what kind of life we want to live, we can let go of a lot of worldly judgments and instead establish a stable self-evaluation system within. This self-evaluation system is the anchor of our hearts. When you have this anchor, you will not be so easily influenced by external evaluations. You'll be able to achieve what Adler said: not being afraid of being hated and not craving for others' approval.
Because of this, you already have it within you: you have your own recognition and affirmation, as well as your own understanding and support. You're already enough, just as you are!
It can be tough to build up your inner strength and find a solid way of evaluating yourself. We all need to keep learning and growing! First, it's important to understand yourself better through different ways of thinking. You need to know what you want, who you are, and what you're capable of. Then, you need to accept your true, imperfect self. Next, you should set some achievable goals for yourself. You can do this in many ways, and you'll feel great when you beat your own expectations and keep getting better at becoming the person you want to be. As you do this, your inner strength will grow, and you'll slowly become a better judge of yourself.
2. It's so important to learn to separate issues, make your own choices, and take responsibility for the consequences of those choices. We don't need to get involved in or take responsibility for other people's issues, because everyone has their own parts that need to grow. This allows us to guard our boundaries and be more comfortable in relationships.
To handle relationships well, we need to learn to separate issues. It's important to understand that some issues in life are our own and some belong to others. It's good to take responsibility for our own issues and not take on other people's issues. This will make you feel a lot better!
So, how do you know whose issue it is? It's really quite simple! The issue is the one that's affecting you the most directly.
Let's say, for instance, that you feel like you'll hurt others when you reject them. It's possible that the person who has expectations of you will feel hurt when you express your rejection. In that case, you have a few options: you can reject others, which might make them feel hurt and disappointed, but you'll feel more comfortable; you'll have to bear the consequences of these results yourself; or you can choose not to reject others, which might make you feel suffocated and even a little angry, but others will think you're nice and praise you. You can also selectively reject. In this case, tell the other person what you can and can't do, where your limitations lie. It's not that you don't want to help; it's just that you have certain abilities.
It's so important to understand that we need to accept the consequences of our own choices. We need to make a choice that we're happy with and also be willing to accept all the consequences of that choice. If you choose to refuse, then you'll have to bear your friend's disappointment. If you choose to accept, then you'll have to bear any grievances or emotions that arise afterwards. And your friend will be disappointed and have his own emotions. This is his problem, and he needs to deal with it. You also need to believe that he has the ability to handle his own affairs, right?
In short, you just need to make your own choice and take responsibility for the consequences of your choice. I promise you, this will make things easier for you!
3. It's so important to communicate effectively in relationships! You can use the method of non-violent communication to express your feelings and needs without causing harm or offense to others.
It's totally understandable to feel hurt when someone expresses their refusal, especially when you have expectations of them. So, how can you express your refusal in a way that doesn't hurt their feelings? I've got just the thing for you! Nonviolent Communication is an amazing communication method that can help you express your needs and feelings in a way that's respectful and understanding.
Nonviolent communication is all about expressing our feelings and needs, as well as our requests to others, in a way that is free from judgment or blame. It's also about inviting the other person to do the same. When we make completely objective statements, we simply express our feelings, needs, and requests. This doesn't harm the relationship at all! It actually allows us to understand each other better and have a deeper connection. Conflicts are actually good because they lead to growth and relationships develop through conflict.
For example, if you want to refuse something to your partner, you can say something like, "Hey, X. You just said that... I really want to help, but I've been super busy recently, so I'm afraid I can't help you right now. I hope you understand. What can I do to help? Do you need me to do something for you within my current abilities?"
Then you can listen to him talk about his feelings and needs, as well as his specific requests for you. In this way, through repeated expressions and exchanges, you will become more and more clear about what his needs are and what your needs are. In the end, you can actually negotiate a solution, which is that you may not completely help him, but within your abilities, you can give him some help within your abilities, and he will definitely understand and be grateful to you.
And the best part is that through such exchanges and communication, your relationship will become even deeper and you will understand each other better. Next time, he will know what your specific situation is and have more reasonable expectations and needs for you.
I really hope this helps!
Wishing you all the best!
Comments
I totally get what you're saying. It's really tough to say no without feeling like you're causing pain. I think honesty is key, but it needs to be gentle and considerate. Maybe focus on expressing your feelings rather than shutting them down. Like, "I really appreciate you and the time we've spent together, but I feel we're better off as friends."
It can be so challenging to turn someone down because we fear hurting them or damaging a relationship. One way could be to acknowledge their feelings first. You might say, "I know you care about me, and I do too, but I see us in a different light. I hope you understand."
Rejection is hard, especially when you worry about the other person's feelings. A soft approach can help. Try saying something like, "I value our friendship deeply and wouldn't want to risk changing that. I hope you can respect my decision to keep things as they are."
It's definitely not easy to reject someone without making them feel bad. Sometimes setting clear boundaries while being compassionate can work. You could express it by saying, "I admire you for who you are, but I don't think pursuing a romantic relationship is right for me at this point."
When it comes to turning someone down, it's important to be honest yet kind. Perhaps you could frame it positively, focusing on what you do want. For instance, "I enjoy spending time with you, and I cherish our connection as friends more than anything else."