My word of 2017 is challenge. While I may not think about it every day, it does creep into my subconscious and reality fairly regularly.

This month I faced a number of small challenges that had me reflecting on my word (amongst many other things!). I was surprised when I had this thought:

Just because a challenge presents itself, doesn’t mean you need to take it.

This thought is not rocket science and it may not have surprised anyone else, but it was an important thought for me during a particular challenge. This idea gave me permission to say no.

Saying no can often be a challenge. So while saying no alleviated my stress about not accepting a challenge before me, I was still mid-challenge as I made that decision. I guess challenges are really all around us every day. Part of the decision-making is when to say yes and when to say no. And for me, once I’ve said no, I want to be at peace with my decision and not have any lingering guilt or “What if…” thoughts.

These are my thoughts at the moment. I’m sure another challenge will present itself soon and I will be reflecting on that!