Someone once asked...

“Why do I feel guilty whenever I say no?”

Someone answered with kindness...

There was a young monk in our temple who couldn't refuse anyone. Extra chores, other people's turns at cleaning, favors that weren't his to give — he took them all, and by evening he'd be exhausted and quietly resentful. One day the abbot asked him, "When you say yes to everyone, who are you saying no to?" He didn't answer. He didn't need to. Guilt, most of the time, isn't a moral alarm. It's just an old habit protesting that it's being broken. You were taught, somewhere along the way, that being loved meant being agreeable. Unlearning that takes longer than learning it did.