Can you share a lesson that you learned later in life and how it has impacted your current lifestyle, mentality, or attitude?

It’s very freeing.

I couldn’t say No to strangers talking & invading my personal life. It made me uncomfortable but somehow I entertained forcibly. This made me realize that I was an easy target for them. They thought of me as an easy prey. This always ended up hurting me because I knew there should be a boundary set , yet I couldn’t set it as I was just a naive small town girl

This is how I paid for not being able to say NO.

Do you have any opinion on Japanese writer/actor Yukio Mishima?

I used to be the kind of person who found it incredibly hard to say no. I would keep people’s feelings above mine.

Many people especially girls will be able to connect with this answer.

But here’s the hard truth I learned much later in life.

Ive been pretending to be okay and acting as normal as possible, but Im actually completely heartbroken after a recent breakup. Its painful and really affecting me, to the point where I cant concentrate at work, Ive lost my appetite, I cant sleep, and It feels as if my whole world has been turned upside down. I loved him so much. He said so many cruel things to me and it made me realize he must not have loved me the way I loved him, or he wouldnt have said such horrible things. How do I handle the heartbreak and why cant I accept that he didnt love me and just forget about him?

I always felt obligated to be polite, to be accommodating, to be the “nice” person because the dictionary of ‘good girl’ means they should be accommodating according to the society.

I would spend hours, sometimes days, replaying the decision in my head, regretting my response, wishing I had been honest.

I lost a lot of my time to help, keeping my needs aside & the favour was never returned because most people took my time for granted & I also hesitated to ask for help

What are some things that children used to wait for, but are no longer common in today's society?

I have ruined my sleep & rest hours with nonsense calls from nonsense people. No matter what the time, I have picked up their calls & listened to their rant for hours. I could not be blunt saying, ‘no am not interested in talking’

It’s very settling.

I was always that one eager person to help someone in need without realising the consequences it might have. I have helped people from Quora & other places during the time when I had nothing on me. I couldn’t say No when a man manipulated me into giving him a huge amount for his daughters education during Covid. I later got fed up asking him to return. He returned after two years. His wife was a working lady at a good corporate place. He lied to me as he wanted money for his alcohol addiction

A Manson Family member was recommended for parole again. But she's not free just yet - NPR

It drained me, messed with my peace, and cluttered my mind with unnecessary stress.

-Smita Mishra

It’s very refreshing.

When writing a novel, how can a character be developed well, but QUICKLY?

Whether it was a friend asking for a favor, an invitation I didn’t feel like accepting, or even a stranger requesting my time, I hesitated to say no

But my mind wouldn’t let go of it.

No meant she is being rebellious.

Why is the United States urging restraint from Israel in its conflict with Hezbollah?

No is a complete sentence & it should not be just used for CONSENT for sex.

I am thankful to my profession & how I started from scratch that I was able to become so blunt & straight forward.

It has been an easy life.

The ‘golden summer of cheap flights’: Now’s the time for last-minute deals - CNN

I lost a lot of money trying to fit in. I don’t like expensive English meals at fancy restaurants. But my friends did. I couldn’t say No thinking I would be judged. But I love ‘Desi food’. I didn’t enjoy the food, & I ended up paying huge split bills so many times

It’s very freeing.

Everytime I said yes when I wanted to say no, I paid the price.

Final AIDS/LifeCycle Travels Through Santa Barbara County - Noozhawk