In 2006, I did one of my Juicy Woman seminars for a local group of women. Mary is a mature woman with a family. She shared with our group that throughout her life she was taught to care for others, set aside her needs and make certain that everyone around her was happy. She admitted that deep down, in her heart, she considered her needs as less important than anyone else’s.
Her life centered on what other people thought about her. She did her best to get everybody to like her so she always went out of her way to please everyone. Mary never felt comfortable saying, “No.” She reasoned that she didn't want to let anyone down or hurt their feelings.
Sadly she attracted people in her life who took advantage of her kindness and had little respect for her. Without consciously being aware of it, she realized that she had allowed herself to be treated like a doormat.
One day she went to the doctor for a routine exam and she was told that she had cancer. The doctor explained to her about the deleterious effects of stress on the body and told her that she had to make some choices. She had to change her lifestyle and make herself a priority.
That's when she realized that if she were to survive, she had to weed out the things in her life that were toxic. She started by saying, "No."






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