Let’s be real here – most of us say “Yes” at times when we want to say “No” for a variety of reasons. We’re accommodating someone because it isn’t terribly inconvenient or because there could be something beneficial in it at some point or because you are caught in a weak moment. We acquiesce at times because there can be that one person with such “puppy dog eyes”, the plea, or whatever other “guilt button” is pushed to make you feel like a total jerk if you say no. The problem can arise when saying “Yes” when you want to say “No” becomes such a habit that everyone begins to assume you will agree and makes their plans based upon the belief that you can be depended on without giving it a second thought. Worse is if you say “Yes” only because your think “they” won’t  like you any more if you say no. Therein lies the difference and while it may seem to be a subtle difference, it is important to know the difference. I’ve posted before about hating to turn people down (well, most people) and that has definitely stretched me to my limits upon occasion. (My husband and I differ on how often that happens, but it is my post, so I can say, “only occasionally” with a straight face.) For me, I can be seriously overloaded for about two months at a time and manage, but if it starts to creep beyond that, the stress level escalates exponentially and that’s when I know that I have to get back in control again. I have learned this through a difficult process and accept it as the reality that it is. I only need about a week of “breathing room” and I can go back to saying “yes” more often than perhaps I should, but not more than I can cope with. What say you, readers? Do you have a specific “straw and camel’s back” criteria or does it depend on the situation?