When we are wrestling with whether or not we say yes to something that has been requested of us, we can keep this saying in mind: “Don’t confuse my free time with my availability.”
This is perhaps something we need to consider before saying yes. Perhaps we have set aside an entire day to do nothing but putter. Cross a few things off the list, enjoy choosing our own pace to the day, deciding how we want to spend our time moving between productivity and relaxation. Technically we are free. And so when someone asks of us a favour, we may begin to feel guilty if we don’t say yes. We may begin pushing the limits to our perception of what we perceive to be selfish.
In our examination of “Do I have the time, energy and support available to me to agree?” question, the distinction between free time and availability becomes an important one. The value we place on how we recharge our serenity is important and worthy of consideration.
Free time versus availability…a thought worth considering 🙂
Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@jesseleemulder