Saying “no” politely

 

I have always had trouble saying “no”.

I sometimes feel like a bad person for saying no, I’ve heard that it’s a symptom of “the disease to please.”

Always volunteering to help, work late, weekends…and of course at home. I often say yes when I should say no and it causes personal and emotional “burnout” .

I need to learn to say no for many reasons, my sanity, my wallet, my time….the list goes on.

It’s a simple fact that you can never be productive if you take on too many commitments — you simply spread yourself too thin and will not be able to get anything done, at least not well or on time.

Recently I have slowly been learning how to say “no” politely!  The more I say it the easier it becomes. 😀

I’ve learned that saying “No” doesn’t mean I am being rude or disagreeable. Saying “No” doesn’t mean there will be conflict or that I’ll miss opportunities in the future.

I have my own priorities and needs, just like everyone has his/her own needs. Saying no is about respecting and valuing my time and space.

Just sayin…:D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indian Spiced Tomato Soup

 

Ingredients

1 c. short grain brown rice
2 T. butter or olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 tsp. sea salt 3 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz. can of coconut milk
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. tightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions

Place the rice in a medium sized heavy bottomed pot (set aside your biggest pot for the soup). Pour in 2 cups of water, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat as low as it will go and simmer, covered for 45 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in the big pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cool until translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the spices, stir to coat the onions, and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 6 cups of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn to medium low and simmer, covered, until everything is cooked down. I just cooked it until the rice was almost done. Puree with a hand blender, then stir in the coconut milk.

While the rice is cooking, place the almonds in a dry skillet and heat on medium until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Serve soup with a scoop of rice, some toasted almonds and a sprinkling of cilantro.

 

Eat to beat