People will always accept a Yes if you're Always willing to give it to them. Let's say it's been an eventful week and all you can think about is getting some much needed R & R (for my youngsters...that's a little Rest & Relaxation). Then the phone starts ringing non-stop with requests for everything under the sun. Instead of retiring for a day or so, you slap an "S" on your chest and continue on being the Super Human everyone needs you to be. That kindness in your heart starts to swell and eventually overpowers your personal needs and you continue on doing the impossible.
Meanwhile those much needed days of embracing the art of not doing a thing or as the Italians say, "L'arte di non fare niente" (The Art of Doing Nothing), while binge watching your favorite show...slowly becomes a very distant memory. There's absolutely nothing wrong with using superhero powers every now and then or when you are able to do so. But not at the expense of always...always denying your own personal needs.
There's a magical word that only has two letters and we'd all be better off if we developed a sense of awareness and knowing when to properly interject this most powerful word. It works quickly. Simple, yet effective. And just like coffee, it can be very mild or sometimes strong depending on how much sugar you put in it. At any regard, it definitely gets the job done. Although the receiver may not always embrace it's power. That Awesome and Generous word of Empowerment is.....NO! There's definitely an assertive way of declining a request. However, we can't control how it will be received from others. Your only responsibility is to be clear and communicate the message in a positive way. We can't carry the burden of worrying about how they may process the information.
When we give too much of ourselves away, it pulls away from our emotional and physical strength. What is your kryptonite? Does your performance suffer when you haven't had adequate rest? Is your attitude out of control because you're exhausted? Everyone has their own kryptonite or things that take away from us being at our best.
Here's a hard reality for you. The graveyard is full of people who didn't take the time to take care of themselves. Remember, people will always accept a Yes if you're always willing to give it to them. And if you're always willing (even when you're not necessarily in a position to do so) then you have just set the standard for how they will treat you. If you don't respect your time or your need to pull away, then technically you've trained them to do the same. A water bottle is only useful if there's something in it. As you're so diligently working to save the world and in serving others, don't forget to take some time to replenish yourself!