When Is it OK To Burn a Bridge?

I'm not sure, but have been doing it anyway. Here's why.

I’ve been… going through it recently. To be honest it I haven’t felt much like writing this newsletter because the only thing I can think about is how I’m going through it, and trying to decide what I am ready to share and what I need to deal with privately doesn’t come naturally.

My instinct is always to give, give, share, share. Put it all out there. Say yes to things I’m not ready to do. Take on the emotional responsibility of figuring it out after I’ve already said yes.

I’ve long had the pleasure of making decisions rooted in fear. If I don’t go to this birthday party, someone will be mad at me. If I say no to this work assignment, my boss will think I’m lazy. If I spend an entire global pandemic painting my walls and uploading lip sync videos to the internet, everyone will think I’m doing great.

If I am offered a work assignment and I don’t have a job, I need to take it. It doesn’t matter if I don’t feel comfortable taking it or if — gasp — I don’t want it. If I don’t take it they’ll never ask me to work for them again, and then I won’t have $300 and then I won’t be able to afford to buy a gift for someone else’s wedding. Then what?

It’s basically the concept our “NO!” commercial was born out of.