Say it with ME..."NO"

Last year I vowed that I'd take things easier and not say "YES" to everyone and everything that comes my way but yet again I get caught up in the moment and end up saying exactly what I didn't want to say in the first place.
"YES".
A simple three letter word which carries a huge weight and expectation producing a fleeting yet brief high. It's a momentary buzz not just for the person asking the question but also for the individual on the receiving end. But does every request require an answer?
It's a small word which often gets in the way. "Y.E.S." So small yet it requires a lot of attention and impedes me from going beyond the everyday endless struggle of spinning a thousand and one plates of which a small percentage are my own. I'm running from plate to plate to keep them from crashing down onto the floor!
It's a difficult circus act. The clowns are screaming "Yes" as the ringmaster wedges 10 of them into a "Noddy" comedy car and they proceed to precariously weave in between the plates at high speed. They honk their horn as they come close to crashing into my rotating crockery! I'm still spinning and struggling to keep up.
I have always believed in the shared common pool of knowledge that helps individuals to fulfill a more creative,sustainable life,being proactive and forthcoming.
To receive that knowledge we need to ask questions and they require an answer to which I mostly reply "Yes" to.
Almost every request I get regarding collaborations I answer with the same small word. "YES".
I like helping people,sharing ideas,dreams,ideals and even fulfilling simple,basic requests. Wouldn't you? Say it with me:"Yes". It sounds good! Doesn't it?
But let's try saying "No". In my head it echoes like a lost,forgotten voice and as I write I am still annunciating each singular letter..."N'-"O". It still sounds uneasy even though it's an even smaller word. Still, lets try again. Take another breath and say it once more: "NO".
It stumbles off the tongue like a massive lead bubble which hits the roof of my mouth and crushes the little air left circulating up to the nostrils. You'd think it would be easier to say,wouldn't you?!